
G. A. HO SKINS, ESQ., F.R.G.S., 

AUTHOR OF " TRAVELS IN ETHIOPIA," " SPAIN AS IT IS," &c. 



LONDON : 

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 

SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBUM, 
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STTJEF". 

1863. 

The. right of Translation is reserved 



I* 



1 



RAWN 

- MAY 9 1919 

PUBUC fclBElARY 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Travelling in 1833 and 1863 — The Author's Previous Voyage to 
Egypt — Three Hours in Malta — Maltese Shopkeepers — Arrival 
at Alexandria — Landing in Africa — Modern Alexandria — The 
Great Square — Europeans in Alexandria — Intriguing Character 
and Conduct of the French — The Suez Canal — General Unpopu- 
larity of the Scheme — Expense of the Undertaking — The French 
Colony — Their Real Object — Forced Labour — Foundation of the 
Ancient City of Alexandria — Antiquities — Pompey's Pillar- 
Cleopatra's Needle — Caesar's Camp — Railway from Alexandria 
to Cairo — Railways and Railway Passengers in Egypt — Gold and 
Poverty — A Ride through the Delta — Bridge across the Nile — 
The Pasha's Railway ....... 1 

CHAPTER n. 

Cairo — The Uzbekeeh — Europeans in Cairo — Street Scenes — Pictur- 
esque Groups in the Bazaars — Bridal Processions — Donkeys and 



vi 



CONTENTS. 



Carriages — The Ghoree and Turkish Bazaars — The Mosks — The 
Sharawee and the Mosk of the Sultan Hassan — Architecture of 
the old Mosk of Tayloon and of El Ghoree — Origin of the Pointed 
Style in the East— El Ezher, the Great College of Cairo-^The 
Citadel — Joseph's Well — Tombs of the Memlooks — Tombs of the 
Reigning Dynasty — Sepulchres of Achmet and of Ibrahim 
Pashas — Old Cairo — Deyr el Adra, or the Chapel of the Virgin 
—The Convent of St. George— A Coptic Turban— The Mosk of 
Amer — Island of Rhoda — Interesting Views — The Mekkeeas, or 
Kilometer — The Garden of Shoobra — The Great Fountain — 
Kasr el Ainee, or College of Dervishes — A Strange Ceremony — 
The Obelisk of Heliopolis — Visit to the Camp and Hospital of 
Abouzaleel — Mohammed Ali — The Mooled el Hassaneyn — Good 
Humour of the Modern Egyptians — Extraordinary Scene at the 
Festival of the Doseh ..... 23 

CHAPTER III. 

The Railway to Suez — Passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites- 
Wells in the Desert — Description of Suez — The Bazaar — Signor 
Mariettas Museum of Egyptian Antiquities — Remarkable Ob- 
jects—Collection of Divinities— Gold Ornaments of the Ancient 
Egyptians— The Sphinx— The Pyramids of Meroe and of Geezeh 
—View from the Summit of the Highest Pyramid— Galleries and 
Chambers of the Interior— The Second Pyramid— The Third 
Pyramid — Tombs near the Pyramids — Remarkable Sculptures 
illustrative of Egyptian Life and Manners— Native Guides 49 

CHAPTER IV. 

A J ourney to the Fyoom— Ruins of Memphis— Statue of Rameses II. - 
The Pyramids of Sakkara— Examination of One— Mummy Pits 



CONTENTS. 



Vll 



of the Ibis and other Animals — Interior of a Tomb — The Pyra- 
mids of Dashoor — Crossing the Desert — Medeeneh, the Capital 
of the Fyoom — The Water of the Nile — The Fyoom the Garden 
of Egypt — Discovery of the Locality of Lake Moeris — Eemains 
of Crocodilopolis —Reception by the Governor of the Village of 
Metaret — Hospitality of the Sheakh el Bellard — Arrival at Sen- 
hoor — Excursion to the Village of Fedanir — A Travelling Guard 
— Encampment of Bedouin Arabs — A Picturesquely-dressed 
Bedouin — The Village of Nesleh — Visits of Invalids — A Bedouin 
Musician — The Ruins of Kasr el Bint — A Desert formerly Culti- 
vated — The Ruins of Kasr Kharoon — An Ancient Tomb — 
Remains of the Chief Temple of the Fyoom — A Primitive Boat 
— An Inharmonious Crew — The Desert Island of El Korn — 
Limits of the Lake — Difficulty of Procuring a Guide — Lost in 
the Desert — Arrival at Cairo — Pyramid marking the Site of the 
Celebrated Labyrinth ..... 64 



CHAPTER V. 

Preparations for the Voyage up the Mle — Hiring a Boat — Crew and 
Accommodation — Furniture and Provisions for the Voyage — ~New 
Race of Dragomen — Engagement of my Former Dragoman — 
Purchase or Hiring of Boats — Advice to Invalids — Destruction 
of Vermin — Painting — Form of Contract in Hiring a Boat — 
Avoidance of Vermin — Expense of Stores and Canteens — Pur- 
chase of Fresh Provisions — Medicine Chest — Sanitary Precau- 
tions — Diseases of the Country — Ophthalmia — Books and other 
sources of Amusement ..... 89 



CHAPTER VI. 

My First Voyage up the Kile — Scenes on the River — Excavated Cham- 



viii 



CONTENTS. 



bers — Pyramids of Sakkara and Dashoor — The Pasha's Yacht: — 
Mosk Attar e' Nebbee — Shoal of Arab Boats — Mokattam Range 
— Quarries of Masarah — Peasants Irrigating the Land — Pyra- 
mid of Lisht — Haram el Kedab, or the False Pyramid: — Track- 
ing under a Hot Sun — Music and Singing of the Sailors — Beni- 
sooef — Village of Bibbeh — Appearance of the Natives — The 
Mountain of Sheakh Embarak — An Awkward Accident — Effects 
of a Gust of Wind — Sheakh Fodl— Gebel e Tayr — A Convent 
of Copts — Arrival at Minieh — Fertility of the Banks of the Nile 
—Egyptian Villages — Tower and Ruins of Kom Ahmar — The 
Tombs of Beni Hassan— Representations of Egyptian Life — In- 
juries caused by Thoughtless Travellers — View from the Tombs 
— Approach to the Temple of the Egyptian Diana — The Speos 
Artemidos — Beautiful Sculptures . . . 107 



CHAPTER VII. 

Roda — The Mounds of Sheakh Abaydeh — Tombs of the Saints— 
The Minaret of Melawe — The Mountain of El Bersheh — Appear- 
ance of the Country — Sugar Manufactory — Groups of Grottoes 
— The Six Minarets of Manfaloot — Crocodile Pits — The Town 
of Sioot — The Bazaar— Visit to the Baths — Cemetery of Lyco- 
polis — The Stabl Antar — John of Lycopolis — Progress of Sioot 
— Strange Incident — Burning of a Boat — Egyptian Women — 
Range of Yellow Hills — Gebel Sheakh Hereedee — Village of E' 
Raaineh — Egyptian Superstition — An Englishman attacked by 
the Peasantry — Tombs in the Rocks — Continuation of Mountain 
Range — Akhmim — Remains of the Ancient City of Panopolis — 
Excavations — Mensheeh — Splendid Crops of Doorah— Picturesque 
Groups of Villagers— Girgeh— Destructive Effect of the Inunda- 
tions of the Nile — Ramble in the Bazaars . . 133 



CONTENTS. i\ 

C HAPTER VIII. 

Arabat el Matfoon, the Ancient Abydus — Important Excavations — 
Entrance to the Great Temple of Osiris — Interesting Sculptures 
— Beautiful Temple buried in the Sand — Sculptures representing 
Osiris — Remarks on Egyptian Mythology — Belief in an Eternal 
God, and Deification of His Attributes — Origin of Egyptian 
Mythology — The Animal Worship of the Egyptians — Belief in 
the Immortality of the Soul, and its Migration through the 
bodies of Animals — Arrival at the Village of Bellianeh — Far- 
shoot — Groves of the Dom, or Fan-leaved Palm — The Sports- 
man's Mansion — The Kasr e Syad Range of Rocks — The Village 
of Dishne — Ruins of Denclera — Temple of Athor — Sculptures 
of the Portico — Interior and Exterior of the Temple — Temple of 
Isis — Representations of the Goddess Athor — Egyptian Scenery 
and Architecture — Anecdote Illustrative of the Value of Money 
formerly in Egypt .. . . . . . . i58 

CHAPTER IX. 

Town of Keneh — Proposed Railway Company — Porous Water Jars 
— Picturesque Village — Impressions on a First Visit to Thebes 
— The Palace-Temple of Koorneh — The Memnonium, or Palace- 
Temple of Rameses II. — Beautiful Sculptures — Fragment of a Co- 
lossal Statue — Interior Courts of the Great Hall — Battle Scenes 
— Astronomical Sculptures — Colossal Statues — Vocal Statue of 
Memnon — Medeenet Haboo — The Site of Thebes — Beautiful Views 
— Sculpture and Hieroglyphics — Pavilion or Residence of the 
King — Representation of Rameses HI. — Remains of Egyptian 
Decoration — Sculptures representing Religious Processions of the 
Egyptians— Representations of Naval and Land Engagements — 
Small Ptolemaic Temple . . . . . . . 17 i 



X 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER X. 

The Temple of Dayr el Bahree — Ride through the Valley of Assaseef — 
Tomb of a Wealthy Priest — The Great Western Mountain — Gra- 
nite Pylon of ThotlimesIII. — Egyptian Knowledge of the Arch — 
The Pasha's Excavations — The Author forbidden to take a Note of 
Certain Sculptures — Beautiful Remains of Coloured Decorations 
— A Small, but Beautiful, Excavated Temple — Representations 
of King Thothmes and the Goddess Athor — Private Tombs of 
Thebes — Destruction caused by Arabs and Travellers — Interest- 
ing Tombs — Tomb 35 — Its Inhabitants — Interesting Paintings 
on the Walls — Representations of Arts and Trades — Pictures 
illustrative of Brick-making — Tomb of the Time of Thothmes I. — 
Tombs of Egyptian Kings and Queens — Magnitude of the Tombs 
■ — Their Appearance when lighted — Destruction of the Paintings 
— Belzoni's Tomb, No. 14 — Inclined Gallery — Extraordinary and 
Interesting Decorations — Sculptures representing the Mysterious 
Ceremonies of the Dead — The Tomb of Rameses III. — Galleries 
and Mches for Royal Mummies — Decorations representing Boats, 
Arms, and Trades of the Ancient Egyptians — Tomb of Ra- 
meses IV. 196 

CHAPTER XL 

The Gay Season at Thebes — The Price of a Mummy — Sale of Scara- 
bsei — Manufacture of False Ones — The Obelisk at Luxor — Battle 
Scenes represented on the Eastern and Western Towers — Splendid 
Avenue formed by Fourteen Immense Columns — Advantage of 
Painting and Sculpture in Combination with Egyptian Architec- 
ture—The most Elegant Egyptian Columns— Ruins of the Tem- 
ple of Karnak — Imposing Avenue of Sphinxes — The Pylon of 
Ptolemy Euergetes— Beautiful Small Temple— Panorama of Un- 



CONTENTS. 



xi 



equalled Grandeur — Great Temple of Karnak — Immense Pyra- 
midal Towers at the Entrance — Avenue of Magnificent Columns 
— Remarkable Sculptures of Egyptian Divinities and Religious 
Ceremonies — Ruins of the Great Hall of Karnak — Representation 
of Egyptian Deities on the Columns — Decorations of the Great 
Hall — A Sculptured Granite Gateway — Granite Sanctuary and 
Obelisks — Spirited Representation of Battle Scenes — Destruction 
of Sculptures — Colossal Portrait of Shishak — Ptolemy Lathyrus 
the Destroyer of the Temples of the Pharaohs — Representations 
of the Goddess Pasht 217 



CHAPTER XII. 

Arrival at Erment — The Old Village of Erment — Ruins of the Tem- 
ple — Decorations of the Sanctuary — Females Mourning — The 
Town of Esneh — The Bazaar — Beautiful Little Palace built by 
Mohammed Ali — Garden and Aviary — Beautiful Walk and View 
— Visit of the Chief Priest of the Copts at Esneh — Coptic Con- 
vents — The Guide's Difficulties with his Donkey — Interior of a 
Coptic Convent — Exterior of the Temple — Curious Group of 
Sculpture — The Sheraineh Range of Mountains — Quarrel with 
Nubians — Working of the Shadoof — Quarrels with the Pea- 
santry — Arrival at El Kab — Visit to Neighbouring Tombs — 
English Vandalism — Interesting Picture of Egyptian Agricul- 
tural Operations — Temple of Edfoo — Great Towers of the Pro- 
pylon — Magnificent Portico — The Hall of Assembly — Sculptures 
representing Egyptian Kings and Divinities — The Wall sur- 
rounding the Temple — Bad Character of the Edfoo Peasantry, 

241 



xii 



CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER XIII. 

AVilder and more Desolate Scenery — Ruins of an Ancient Arab Town 
and Mosk — Village of Massaheed — Dates, the Chief Wealth 
of the Country — Quarries of Gebel Silsilis — Mode of Excavation 
— Tombs, Chapels, and Grottoes — Beautiful View — Rocky Bed of 
the River — Temple of Ombos — Plan of the Temple — The Osshi 
Plant and the Castor Oil Shrub — Asouan — Picturesque Scene — 
Journey to the Quarries — The Obelisk — Tombs of Derwishes and 
Sheakhs — Mosk of Amer — Island of Elephantine — Extensive 
Ruins — View from the West Side of the Island — The Stone Pier 
— Arrival of the Comte de Paris and the Due de Chartres — 
Visit to the Cataracts — The Little Cataract — Sailing up the 
Rapids — Passing the Principal Fall —Clamour of the Nubians — 
Rash Attempt of an Englishman to swim down the Cataract — 
Island of Philse — Ruins of Temples — Roman Gateway — View 
from the West Side of the Great Temple — Interesting Sculptures 
— Beautiful Ptolemaic Portico 269 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Temple of Dabod — Picturesque Ruins of an Arab Castle — The 
Island of Morgose — Hypsethral Court of the Temple of Gertassee 
— Island of Bab-el-Kalabshee — The Temple of Kalabshee — 
The Pylon of Dakkeh— Little Temple of Bayt el WeUee, the 
Home of the Saint — The Temple of Dendoor — Gerf Hossayn 
— The Temple of Dakkeh — Ruins of El Madeah — Nubian 
Method of crossing Rivers — The Temple of Sabooa — Village 
of Karango — Korosko — The Starting Place for Caravans cross- 
ing the Great Nubian Desert — Contrary Wind — A Disagreeable 
Path for our Men 302 



CONTENTS. 



xiii 



CHAPTER XV. 

The Temple of Amada— Derr, the Capital of Nubia—The Temple of 
Derr — Scenes on the Banks of the River — AVedding Gaieties in 
Nubia — Fortress of Ibreem — Great Temple of Aboo-Simbel — 
Various Sculptures — Battle-Scenes — The Portico — The Sanc- 
tuary — The small Temple of Aboo-Simbel — Statues of Rameses 
II. — Small Temple used as a Fortress — Various Sculptures 
representing Rameses II. and his Queen—Temple at Ferayg 
— Deboreh — Careful Cultivation on the Bank of the River 
— A Resource of the Poor Nubians— Brick Enclosures for Cattle 
in the Nubian Desert — Ruins of a Temple and Ancient Cha- 
pels — View of the Second Cataract — Magical Effect — Wadee 
Halfeh — Condition of the Peasantry — Morning and Evening 
Temperature in Nubia — Violent Gales of Wind- — Advice to In- 
valids — Voyage from Wadee Halfeh to Cairo — Visit to a Cara- 
van with Prisoners — Black Regiments in the Egyptian Service 
— Slave Traffic — Discovery of the Source of the Nile . . 321 



A WINTER 

UPPE1I AND LOWER EGYPT. 



CHAPTER I. 

Travelling in 1833 and 1863 — The Author's Previous Voyage to 
Egypt — Three Hours in Malta — Maltese Shopkeepers — Arrival 
at Alexandria — Landing in Africa — Modern Alexandria — The 
Great Square — Europeans in Alexandria — Intriguing Character 
and Conduct of the French — The Suez Canal — General Unpopu- 
larity of the Scheme — Expense of the Undertaking — The French 
Colony — Their Real Object — Forced Labour — Foundation of the 
Ancient City of Alexandria — Antiquities — Pompey's Pillar — 
Cleopatra's Needle — Caesar's Camp — Railway from Alexandria 
to Cairo — Railways and Railway Passengers in Egypt — Gold and 
Poverty — A Ride through the Delta — Bridge across the Mle — 
The Pasha's Railway. 

In 1832-3 my visit to Egypt was to see the country, 
and study its ancient monuments. In 1860-61 
health was my object, trusting that the fine climate 
of the Nile might be more efficacious than that of 
Italy or Spain. 

B 



2 



TRAVELLING IN FORMER DAYS. 



Travellers in former days had to encounter no 
slight difficulties before reaching Alexandria. A 
short epitome of the sufferings I endured on my pre- 
vious voyage will afford a striking contrast to the 
comfort and even luxuries enjoyed by travellers in the 
present day. 

We were ten days in a wretched sailing vessel from 
Naples to Messina, the sailors attributing the unusual 
length of our voyage to a certain Marchese, a cele- 
brated Iattatore, who always brought ill luck with 
him. The Marchese was a poet, and wrote a sonnet, 
praising the good looks of his sovereign, who imme- 
diately fell seriously ill. After his recovery, the 
Marchese wrote another sonnet, congratulating the 
people that the sun again shone upon them. The 
King had a sudden relapse, and died ; and our Mar- 
chese's character as a Iattatore was fully established. 

We had then a miserable passage in a spironale from 
Syracuse to Malta. Hearing that the cholera was 
raging in Alexandria, we sailed to Patras, and landed 
in Greece the very day that Capo dTstrias was assas- 
sinated. The country was in confusion, every rascal 
turning out with his gun. After various miraculous 
escapes from robbers, in the Morea, and being robbed 
by banditti on our way to Marathon, we sailed from 
Egina to Syra. The little vessel was crowded with 
passengers and their families, but had not half ballast 
enough. A dreadful storm arose near Cape Colonna, 



^ STORM. 3 

the classic scene of T foempflen 's shipwreck. The 
sailors were obliged to destroy the little huts erected 
on the decks for the women, whose cries were fearful. 
Many of the passengers were part proprietors of the 
vessel, and thought themselves entitled to give their 
advice as to what ought to be done. Such a scene 
of misery and confusion was never witnessed. 

At last a lieutenant in the Greek navy recollected 
having seen in his youth a little port, which he thought 
we might make. The captain produced a large map, 
but no such port was marked on it. It being, however, 
the almost unanimous opinion that it was our best 
chance, the helm was given to the lieutenant, who 
piloted us most gallantly into the little creek. 

At Syra there was no better vessel sailing for 
Alexandria than a miserable small Turkish bom- 
bard with a wretched little dirty cabin not four feet 
high. The vessel sailed well when the wind 
was favourable ; but when it was contrary and high, 
we were driven back to Rhodes, and had to wait in 
the convent there six weeks before we could again set 
sail. 

It blew a gale near Alexandria, and we were driven 
far past that port. The captain, who had hitherto 
appeared collected and brave, was crying at the helm ; 
and when I reproached him, he said it was for his 
family he should never see again ; but Providence 
was kind, and about five months after we left Italy, 

B 2 



4 



THE YALETTA. 



we landed at the port we set out for from Naples. 

Finding that later on in the year we should have 
worse accommodation, and perhaps run the risk of 
not finding berths at all, we embarked on the 4th of 
October in the Vdletta* It would be impossible to 
have greater comforts at sea than we enjoyed in this 
vessel. As there were few passengers on board, we 
had each -a cabin of two berths to ourselves, and the 
fare was excellent, though some few old topers did 
grumble a little at the wine. 

On the Sunday the crew were summoned to 
prayers, which the captain read, and most impressive 
was the scene. When I counted fifty sailors and 
officers, and saw their strict discipline, and the regu- 
larity with which they made their nautical observa- 
tions, I felt that if the stormy winds did blow, no 
one, however weak his nerves, need feel alarm with 
so gallant a crew, commanded by officers who, with 
their practical skill, combined so much scientific 
knowledge. 

* Few travellers visit Egypt now before November or December, but 
for invalids who desire a dry climate, and require a continuance of fine 
weather to re-establish their health, it is better to go there the begin- 
ning of October. There is then a greater chance of a smooth passage, 
and being early, they have the choice of boats and servants. They 
have an opportunity, also, of seeing some portions of the Delta covered 
with the inundation, and the villages surrounded with water like little 
islands. The sunsets on the Nile are also finer at the end of Oc- 
tober or beginning of November than afterwards. Travellers during 
these months should carefully avoid the night damps, which, however, 
diminish as you sail up the river, and at Esneh cease entirely. 



THE PENINSULAR BOATS. 



5 



It is the privilege, however, of Englishmen to 
grumble, and we were not a little discontented at 
scarcely finding a seat on the deck to sit down upon. 
Most of the passengers came provided with their easy- 
chairs, and fortunately I found one which had been 
left behind by some stray passenger in a former 
voyage. I made a couch on one of the skylights ; 
but though I pleaded illness and a weak -spine, the 
testy purser forbade me to take the pillow from my own 
bed to make it more comfortable. 

With the exception of two or three gentlemen we 
left at Malta, our passengers were mostly all bound for 
India. About a dozen were engineers, and others 
connected with the great railways now constructing 
in that country. Some gentlemen were in the civil and 
military services, and others were merchants carrying 
out young and good-looking brides, to make their 
Indian homes more agreeable. 

My experience of the Peninsular boats the October 
of the year following was unfortunately very different. 
After waiting several days at Marseilles, when the 
London passengers arrived there was only one place 
Tacant, in a room with twelve berths, called the 
omnibus. The air was so stifling I could not sleep ; 
the sea was rough, the rain fell in torrents, and 
everybody was ill. Disgusted with the accommoda- 
tions, I landed at Malta, and after waiting there 
several days, I could get no better place in the next 



TRIESTE ROUTE. 



boat, the Peri, than the worst berth in an omnibus, 
with seven others ; and though the room was nearly 
as large as the one for twelve, and better ventilated, 
the discomfort was very great, and made me so 
unwell that I vowed I would never sail again in one 
of that company's boats. 

The Messageries Imperiales are very comfortable ; 
and now the new line to China offers further accom- 
modation; but I am told they have made a bad begin- 
ning, both as to vessels and comfort. 

The steam-boats of the company formed by the 
Pashas, and other great officers of the court, under 
the patronage of Ismail Pasha — who, besides taking 
shares, guarantees a dividend of six per cent — will 
afford facilities to travellers ; and energetic as the 
present Pasha appears to be, we may probably soon 
see steamers for travellers to Thebes and Asouan, and 
hotels at both those places. 

The steamers from Liverpool to Alexandria, which 
call at Malta, are very good, and never overcrowded, 
and the passage-money much less. I returned to 
Europe by the Trieste route, in the Neptune, a fine 
vessel. 

The scenery was very picturesque, passing near to 
Candia and the coast of the Morea, and especially 
near Navarino. We stopped four hours at Corfu, 
the most beautiful of the Ionian Islands, and followed 
afterwards the wild coasts of Albania aud Dalmatia. 



MALTA. 



7 



These vessels are, however, very crowded in the 
spring, and I should have had to submit to an omni- 
bus again, if I had not paid five pounds extra for the 
captain's berth. 

No one can leave Marseilles without admiring the 
bold and rocky coast, which extends for miles. Cor- 
sica, and the barren rocky Island of Sardinia, are also 
interesting. 

We had taken our passage only for Malta, intend- 
ing to stay there if rough, till the weather should be- 
come more favourable ; but as there was scarcely a 
ripple on the water, and we were bad sailors, we 
thought it would be tempting Providence not to take 
advantage of the present calm, and to continue our 
voyage in the good, and as they say always fortunate, 
ship, the Valetta. 

It was moonlight when we arrived at Malta, and 
as we had three hours to stay there, we sailed across 
the beautiful harbour, and drove about the narrow 
but picturesque streets, all the houses of which have 
stone balconies. 

The hotels at Malta, especially the Imperial and 
Dumford's are good and cheap (seven shillings a day), 
and it is an excellent place to make purchases for the 
Nile, voyage. The church of St. John's, the villa of 
St. Antonio, and the Governor's house, are worth 
seeing, and excursions may be made to Casal Crendi, 
St. Paul's Bay, and especially to Citta Vecchia, where 



8 



ALEXANDRIA. 



the tesselated marble figures on the pavement of the 
church are more interesting than St. John's; but I 
must confess I dislike Malta and its endless stone 
walls. ¥ 

I have seen Malta under the glare of a hot sun, 
and have ridden into the country round, which is as 
barren as the desert, without its grandeur, but never 
did I see it so beautiful. Fortunate are they who 
only see Malta by the pale light of the moon. All 
the honest tradesmen, I presume, had closed their 
shops, and only the rogues were wide awake. We 
were asked three pounds twelve shillings for a man- 
tilla for which they were willing to take thirty shil- 
lings ; and every passenger had some tale to tell of 
their extortion. One gentleman, who had often 
visited Malta, boasted to us that he had defied them 
to cheat him, and thought himself clever in beating 
them down to half the prices demanded ; but, on 
opening his parcel on board, he found they had sub- 
stituted for what he had bought inferior articles, which 
he had rejected, and would not have purchased at any 
price. 

Early on the 11th of October, we reached Alexan- 
dria, after a glorious passage, no one the least ill. 
There was great confusion in removing the luggage ; 
and though I thought I had taken great pains to 
secure a bag containing my money and other valua- 
bles, when my back was turned for a moment it was 



CUSTOM-HOUSE. 







snatched up by an Arab, and flung among the Indian 
luggage. 

Travellers going further than Egypt have merely 
to obey orders, the Company taking charge of their 
persons and luggage. All they have to do is to look 
sharp for good rooms in the hotels at Alexandria and 
Cairo, when allowed to stay there, taking care to tele- 
graph for them to Shepheard's at Cairo, or the new 
hotel there, which is much praised. Travellers in Egypt 
should land with their baggage and go direct to the 
custom-house, where a small bribe will save its being 
examined.* 1 returned for mine with a dragoman 
and a janissary from the Consul, which I found a far 
more expensive plan, and utterly useless, as there is 
a very civil man at the custom-house, who speaks 
English perfectly. 

The landing in Africa for the first time is very in- 
teresting. The picturesqueness of the costumes, the 
profusion and variety of colours — blue and white pre- 
dominating — red caps with blue tassels, and white, 
yellow, green, and red turbans, being the usual head- 
dress of the men — the strings of laden camels, the 
shouting and bawling in an unknown tongue by a 
vivacious people, the beautiful minarets, and, amidst 
this confusion and bustle, the quiet imperturbable de- 

* It is however prudent for several to land together, with sticks in 
their hands, to ensure the respect of the Arabs. On my last visit to 
Egypt I was nearly torn to pieces, so violent was their scramble for 
me and my luggage. 



10 



BAZAARS. 



meanour of the Turks and Arabs transacting their 
business, and at the same time smoking their pipes 
cross-legged before their stalls, are very Oriental. 

During the four days we stayed at the very good 
Peninsular and Oriental Hotel we rambled often in 
the bazaars, and were delighted with the variety of 
costumes of the Arabs, Turks, Armenians, &c, and 
the various goods displayed, especially the red and 
yellow striped scarfs, &c, in the Armenian bazaar. 
The picturesque appearance of the Turkish bazaar is 
rather destroyed by the great length, regularity, and 
width of the street. The shops are like large cup- 
boards, in the back part of which the goods are 
stowed very untidily. The bench in front of the shop 
is generally covered with a carpet, and often cushions, 
and serves as a divan for the shopkeepers and their 
customers ; but few goods of any value are displayed. 

Modern Alexandria has little to interest the stran- 
ger. The population has doubled within the last 
quarter of a century, being now about 70,000. The 
large Square is more dingy than it used to be, and 
the dust, a pungent mixture of rubbish and calcareous 
rock, is insufferable. Few can prolong their stay in 
Alexandria without aching eyes. 

The climate of Alexandria prevents the Great 
Square from ever looking freshly painted ; neverthe- 
less the large hotels, the English church, the resi- 
dences of the Consuls, and other buildings, are very 



FRENCHMEN. 



11 



handsome. The promenade in the centre, planted 
with trees, and adorned with two fountains and 
marble seats, is a great improvement ; but when it 
rains, which it frequently does in Alexandria, the 
promenade becomes an island, the roads surrounding 
it being ankle deep in water and mud. 

The Pasha has commenced building a large market 
behind the Peninsular Hotel. If he would make a 
pier fronting the sea, it would indeed be a benefit. 
Many streets lead down from the Square to the shore, 
and strangers naturally turn down them to enjoy the 
breezes so delicious in this hot climate, but the inde- 
scribable filth they encounter soon makes them re- 
trace their steps. The health and enjoyment of the 
Alexandrians absolutely require the purification of the 
beach. 

The number of Europeans is very great in Alexan- 
dria ; some wear the Nizam dress, and others retain 
their own costume. It is strange to see these would- 
be Turks, and others in European dresses, arm-in-arm 
on the promenades. Few European ladies are seen 
in the streets, but it excites one's pity this hot 
weather, to see the quantity of Turkish females scarcely 
able to waddle along under the heap of silks with 
which they give themselves the desired appearance of 
corpulency. 

It is said that there are between seven and eight 
thousand Frenchmen in Alexandria alone ; they are 



12 



SAID PASHA. 



working themselves into every employment and busi- 
ness, and, when I was there, doing their best to 
entangle Said Pasha into irrecoverable debts, mort- 
gaging the revenues of the country for their immense 
advances ; and, it was rumoured, anxious to clear 
him from his debts to English and other merchants, 
that they alone might enjoy the political advantage 
of being his creditors. At their suggestion, it was 
said, the Pasha was reducing his army, particularly 
his cavalry regiments. All appeared alarmed at mea- 
sures which they thought might end in the country 
becoming a French province. 

The revenue of Egypt is nearly five millions ster- 
ling. The Pasha's chief expense was his army, which 
consisted of about 20,000 men, but, independent of 
the Suez canal, the French were continually leading 
him into little and great extravagancies. I heard of 
his giving 6,500 francs a piece for twenty-four French 
mirrors, which could not have cost a tenth of the 
sum ; and he gave an order for a small steam yacht, 
for which he was charged three times its value. The 
arsenal, they say, is full of valuable goods, deposited 
there from their not knowing what to do with them ; 
and he spent immense sums to satisfy claims which 
were without any foundation. 

A Greek pretended that Mohammed Ali, before 
witnesses, had promised to concede to him the making 
of the railway between Alexandria and Cairo. The 



SUEZ CANAL. 



13 



claim was referred to the French Government, who 
decided against the Greek ; and yet the Pasha gave 
him £150,000, one-third of which is supposed to have 
been pocketed by his witnesses. This is but one of 
many claims made against him. 

The Pasha, it is said, never went near his harem. He 
lived generally at his palace, twelve or fourteen miles 
from Alexandria, to keep out of the way of the French 
and others, who led him into these extravagancies. 
The treasury bonds, though paid most punctually when 
due, were sometimes at a great discount. In 1859 
they might be bought to pay thirty per cent interest, 
and when I was there, twelve and a half. 

The English loan, since my visit, rescued the late 
Pasha from his dependence on French capitalists; but 
the Suez canal, in which he was so largely involved, will, 
for seven years, be a drain on his successor's finances, 
amounting, some say, to a quarter of a million ster- 
ling ; but according to Mr. Oliveira, £1,400,000, to 
be paid in monthly instalments of £60,000, com- 
mencing 1st January, 1864, with a liability to future 
calls, amounting to thirteen hundred thousand more. 

It would be rash in these days to doubt that the 
canal could be. completed. An experienced English 
engineer, who visited the works last spring (1863), in- 
formed me that they might be finished in three years. 
The jetties on the Mediterranean, probably four miles 
in extent, and on the Red Sea, may be easily accom- 



14 



THE SULTAN'S LETTER. 



plished, though they would probably entail an annual 
expense of twenty thousand pounds to extend them, 
keep them in repair, and to dredge out the immense 
quantities of sand thrown up by the Mediterranean. 
These breakwaters would probably be very inefficient 
protection from the severe gales which are so frequent 
on that coast. 

Considering the difficult navigation of the Red Sea, 
and the great expenses of the undertaking, no one 
supposes that it would ever pay. I am told that 
there is not a merchant or person of any wealth 
in Egypt who has shares in it ; and we may infer 
that such is generally the case in France, from the 
shares seldom appearing in the lists of the stock- 
brokers. It is said that most of the money expended 
beyond the Pasha's contributions was found by the 
French Government. 

The late decision of the Sultan, requiring "the 
neutrality of the territory, the abolition of forced 
labour, and the abandonment by the Company of the 
clause concerning the fresh-water canals and the ces- 
sion of the adjoining territory," will probably^ put an 
end to a Company whose real object appears to have 
been the establishment of a French colony. At this 
moment they occupy a territory (narrow though it 
be) from the Mediterranean to the Eed Sea- — a strong 
military position, consisting for a very great part of 



peasants' wages. 



15 



the way of the canal, or broad ditch, with its high 
embankments. 

If the canal is completed, and this territory left in 
the hands of the French, and a war broke out, our 
usual fleet in the Mediterranean might not be able to 
prevent an expedition of iron-clad steamers from 
Toulon suddenly seizing Egypt, and even proceeding 
to India. 

There is, perhaps, a little exaggeration in the Turk- 
ish letter as to the number of peasants forcibly 
diverted from their usual manufacturing, commercial, 
and agricultural occupations. I am informed that the 
number at work this spring was 10,000, and that, be- 
sides working a month, they were generally another 
month in going and returning. If this be true, the 
number taken from their homes generally would be 
only 20,000, and not 60,000, as the Turkish minister 
states. Mr. Oliveira, however, says that the number 
working at one place in April was 18,000 ; he 
states the pay of the labourers to be eightpence a day ; 
but the same engineer told me that they received three 
quarters of a dollar a day when actually working, 
subject to deductions for rations — so that their pay for 
the two months was above one shilling a clay. 
Though this is much more than the peasant can gain 
as a labourer elsewhere, it will°never induce him to 
leave his village, his family, and most probably his 



16 



THE PALACE. 



crops, especially if it be generally understood that 
the Pasha would rather he stayed at home. 

Typhus of the most virulent kind has broken out 
this summer among the return levies, ill-fed, and 
crowded in boats. Others have been attacked on 
reaching their villages, and the disease was rapidly 
spreading. 

If Ismail Pasha was desirous of saving his large 
contributions to the Company, and, without offending 
the French Consul- General and the powerful French 
party in Egypt, get rid of a colony who, with the 
assistance of iron-clads and soldiers, might some day 
be his masters, the Turkish letter will be most wel- 
come to him. The Sultan offers very liberally, if the 
Company do not consent to the conditions he imposes, 
to refund to them the money they have expended 
without his sanction, and promises to make an ar- 
rangement with Ismail Pasha for the completion of 
the canal. Little reliance can be placed on such 
promises, and the French Government will no doubt 
make every effort to obtain the Sultan's consent to 
the completion of the undertaking. 

Of the modern buildings the Pasha's palace is the 
only one worth visiting. The architecture is plain, 
but the suite of rooms is handsome. The furniture is 
entirely from France, but the large divans give it an 
Oriental appearance. The silver beds, of old-fashioned 
English shape, have rich curtains of cloth of gold and 



ANCIENT CITY. 



17 



silver, and a rose pattern of Damascus manufacture. 
There are state chairs in almost every room, of an 
immense size, to suit the corpulent Pasha. From the 
balcony of one of the rooms there is a fine view of 
the harbour where the Pasha's steam-yachts anchor. 

Half an hour's drive from Alexandria is a garden 
belonging to a Pasha, which can only be considered 
pretty as contrasted with the desert around it ; but 
the drive from it is pleasant, along the Mahmoodeeh 
Canal, with the lake Mareotis in the distance. At 
Alexandria is a small but pretty English church, and 
many new streets have sprung up in the Frank 
quarter. 

Alexandria was founded on the site of a small town 
called Eacotis. The Pharaohs carried on their com- 
merce chiefly by means of caravans. They had pro- 
bably a few ships at the ports they possessed on the 
Eed Sea, for their commerce with India ; but they 
appear to have considered Europeans as pirates, and 
studiously avoided all intercourse with them. It was 
only at the Canopian branch of the Nile that in later 
times they were allowed to enter the country, and 
there only under severe restrictions. Alexander the 
Great saw the advantages of Kacotis, with its island 
of Pharos ; and ordered Dinocrates, the architect, 
to improve the harbour and build a city, which soon 
became the emporium of the East. Little now re- 
mains of its magnificence ; the old lighthouse marks 

c 



18 



pompey's pillar. 



the site of the ancient Pharos, which is said to have 
cost £155,000 ; but the site of the Museum, with its 
library of 400,000 volumes, and the splendid Sara- 
peum, and its library of 300,000 volumes, the resorts 
of the learned of that age, can now only be conjec- 
tured. The Museum library was destroyed by fire 
during the war of Julius Caesar with the Alexandri- 
ans ; and the Sarapeum library, which contained the 
200,000 volumes belonging to the kings of Pergamus, 
presented by Mark Antony to Cleopatra, was destroyed 
by Amer, the lieutenant of the Caliph Omar " If 
these writings of the Greeks," said Omar, " agree 
with the book of God, they are useless ; if they dis- 
agree, they are pernicious, and ought to be destroyed." 

Of the ancient city of Alexandria, little remains. 
Pompey's Pillar, picturesquely situated on an emi- 
nence, is well worth a visit. The shaft, seventy- 
three high, and twenty-nine feet eight inches in 
circumference, is beautifully proportioned. The 
capital is in worse style ; the total height, in- 
cluding the base and pedestal, is ninety-eight feet 
nine inches. The Greek inscription shows it was 
erected in honour of Dioclesian, who captured Alex- 
andria a.d. 296. The view from it, embracing a 
forest of palms, the town, and an Arab cemetery, is 
interesting. 

Almost the only other remnant of antiquity of any 
importance is what is called Cleopatra's Needle, a red 



OBELISKS. 



19 



granite obelisk, seventy feet high, bearing the names 
of Thothmes III., and Rameses the Great, the 
supposed Sesostris. The hieroglyphics are much 
worn by the sea air. Its companion, which was 
given to the English, is covered with sand for its pro- 
tection. They are supposed to be the two described 
by Pliny, brought from Heliopolis. 

About two miles beyond the Rosetta Gate is an 
old Roman station, called Caesar's Camp, supposed to 
be Mcopolis, where Augustus defeated the partisans 
of Antony, and 1832 years after was the battle-field 
of the English and French armies. There are conside- 
rable remains of towers and walls, and in a small 
house (the keeper of which is generally near at hand), 
there is a fine mosaic with a figure of Bacchus in the 
centre. Among the vast mounds of ruins between 
the camp and the gate antiquities are often found. I 
saw a large marble sarcophagus decorated with heads 
and wreaths. The catacombs are worth exploring for 
their extent and the elegance of the architecture. 

The railway from Alexandria to Cairo, one hundred 
and thirty miles long, is admirably conducted. We 
were seven hours on the journey, including a stoppage 
of half an hour at Kaf r el Aesh for lunch ; and a very 
good one we heard and saw it was, though the hand- 
book warned us against it ; and certainly the price — 
five shillings — is dear. 

There are several railways branching from the 

c 2 



20 



RAILWAY TO CAIRO. 



chief line, thirty or forty miles in extent. For their 
construction, the Sheakhs of the adjoining villages are 
required to find labourers for a month. No other 
pay is given to the poor men than two cakes of 
bread a day. In a flat country like the Delta, rail- 
ways are laid down at a slight expense; and certainly 
they are increasing rapidly the prosperity of the 
country. But the Pasha is blamed for not charging 
less for merchandise, which would be less injured than 
it is when sent by water. 

The railway from Alexandria to Cairo pays very 
well since the Arabs have taken to travelling; and 
the third class, it is said, pays better than the first. 
I saw several carriages full of third-class passengers, 
and I think they must have been returning from their 
forced labours on other lines, they were so joyous. 

Many of the Arabs are now very rich ; but strange 
to say, tempting as the rate of interest is, they do not 
hold a single treasury bond. The Pasha says he sup- 
poses they have no confidence in him. It is thought, 
as has ever been the case with the Arabs of every 
age, that they bury their gold as bullion flows into 
the country, and yet it is always scarce. I have- 
heard of instances of rich men in the villages hiding 
their own treasures, and borrowing money from Jews, 
that they may shew the bonds to the Turks, to prove 
their poverty, and escape extortions. Women are 



THE DELTA. 



21 



often seen with wretched garments, and ornaments of 
gold of great value. 

The ride through the Delta is very interesting. In 
many places the inundation of the Nile had not sub- 
sided, and the villages, with their groves of palm, were 
like little islands. The richness and fertility of 
the country astonish a European ; and the different 
caravans, and groups of peasants on camels, horses, 
donkeys, and on foot, were very picturesque. Num- 
bers were working in the fields ; all appeared active 
and industrious, the secret being that they were not 
working for the Pasha as in the time of Mohammed 
Ali, Said Pasha leaving them something, though not 
much, for themselves. There was far less appearance 
of poverty than in former times, the exceptions to the 
general prosperity being a few old men too old to 
work, but busy enough, we observed, attempting to 
rid themselves of their vermin. 

About half-way from Alexandria, across the 
Damietta branch of the Nile, is an admirable iron 
bridge, suspended on clustered stone columns with the 
appropriate papyrus capital. The Pasha was so 
pleased with this work, that he gave the architect who 
superintended its execution £10,000. 

The railway is the property of the Pasha, and, it 
is said, when he uses it, he exercises the privilege of 
doing what he likes with his own, stopping it to lunch, 



22 



ARRIVAL AT CAIRO. 



sleep, or pray, or for any other purpose. As might 
have been expected, he was run into once by another 
train, and had a narrow escape. 

On arriving at Cairo, our luggage being too heavy 
for a carriage, we had great difficulty in getting a 
cart, as some soldiers of the Pasha had seized them 
for their artillery, but at last very reluctantly yielded 
one to me. 



23 



CHAPTER II. 

Cairo — The Uzbekeeh — Europeans in Cairo — Street Scenes — Pictur- 
esque Groups in the Bazaars — Bridal Processions — Donkeys and 
Carriages — The Ghoree and Turkish Bazaars — The Mosks — The 
Sharawee and the Mosk of the Sultan Hassan — Architecture of 
the old Mosk of Tayloon and of El Ghoree — Origin of the Pointed 
Style in the East — El Ezher, the Great College of Cairo — The 
Citadel — Joseph's Well — Tombs of the Memlooks — Tombs of the 
Reigning Dynasty — Sepulchres of Achmet and of Ibrahim 
Pashas — Old Cairo — Deyr el Adra, or the Chapel of the Virgin 
— The Convent of St. George — A Coptic Turban — The Mosk of 
Amer — Island of Rhoda— Interesting Views — The Mekkeeas, or 
Nilometer — The Garden of Shoobra — The Great Fountain — 
, Kasr el Ainee, or College of Dervishes — A Strange Ceremony — 
The Obelisk of Heliopolis — Visit to the Camp and Hospital of 
Abouzaleel — Mohammed Ali — The Mooled el Hassaneyn — Good 
Humour of the Modern Egyptians — Extraordinary Scene at the 
Festival of the Doseh. 

Cairo has changed little within the last quarter of a 
century. The mosks are more dilapidated, and the 
colours in them much less bright. One great im- 
provement has been effected. The Uzbekeeh, a large 
square containing 450,000 square feet, which, during 
the inundation, was formerly covered with water, and 
at other times a cornfield, is now beautifully planted, 



24 



CAFES AND HOTELS. 



affording the greatest of all luxuries in a hot climate 
— delicious shade. 

Under the trees are some indifferent cafes, where 
excellent coffee, sherbet, and punch may be had, and 
where a very poor band plays in the evenings. On 
Sundays the promenade is very crowded — Franks and 
Turks in their Nizam dresses. European tradesmen, 
who have not adopted the latter, generally wear the 
red Tarboosh, while their wives and daughters appear 
in European dresses, though not in the best taste. 

The groups that will interest the stranger most are 
the citizens playing at dominoes, chess, and back- 
gammon, and the peasants collected round the jugglers. 
If the cafes were good, and the gardens better taken 
care of, few promenades in the world would be more 
delightful. Some of the houses which surround it are 
handsome, especially the Palace of the late Pasha's 
sister, and Shepheard's large hotel — with all its defects, 
the best in Cairo — as well as the Hotel d'Orient, the 
next best, on the opposite side of the square ; but the 
artist will admire more the old houses, with their pic- 
turescpie latticed wood windows, or Mushrebeehs. 
The minaret of a mosk, surrounded by trees, adds to 
the effect. 

The sights of Cairo are not very numerous, but the 
streets and bazaars are extremely interesting. Some 
of the streets are so narrow people could shake hands 
across them, and their beautiful Mushrebeehs almost 



PICTURESQUE BAZAARS. 



25 



touch. One is never weary of seeing these beautiful 
latticed windows, there is such a variety in their 
form, and the pattern of their woodwork. When 
these picturesque old streets are combined with foun- 
tains, with windows of an elaborate and often taste- 
ful design, and the far grander works of art — the 
splendid red and white mosks, with their exquisite 
minarets, perfect specimens of Saracenic art — every 
one must allow that Cairo has attractions which 
cannot be surpassed by any other oriental city, equal- 
ling, and, some say, even surpassing Damascus and 
Constantinople. 

These are a few of the architectural attractions of 
the streets of Cairo, but the crowds which animate 
them are not less interesting. Eich and poor, high and 
low, are conglomerated together. Every variety of 
costume, and every shade of complexion, from the 
swarthy Nubian to the fair Circassian. Sometimes 
the attention is drawn to the harem of a rich Turk, 
enveloped in silks of black and gay colours, of a 
breadth that would satisfy even a Parisienne's taste 
(though they wear no crinoline), as if, like fair 
Fatima, of Tripoli, " they had been bought by the 
hundred-weight, and trundled home in a wheel- 
barrow."* They are often mounted on donkeys, 
richly caparisoned, of a merit and value unknown 
in Europe. 

* Salmagundi. 



26 



PROCESSIONS. 



Besides the harems, the most extraordinary groups 
of women are often seen on foot in the bazaars ; no- 
thing human distinguishable except a pair of fine black 
eyes, not sparing in their glances, peeping over the 
linen masks that cover their faces from the eyes 
downwards, the rest of the body having the ap- 
pearance of an immense lump of merchandise covered 
with folds of linen or silk, scarcely showing their 
yellow boots. They are mostly attended by slaves, or 
some elderly female relation. 

You see, likewise, in the bazaar at Cairo, wealthy 
Turks on splendid horses, with saddle-cloths em- 
broidered with gold ; soldiers in various uniforms ; 
Syrians with their red caps and long flowing robes ; 
fierce-looking Arabs of the desert; the degenerate 
Fellaheen, in their immense white, red, and green 
turbans, commonly put on in horizontal folds, their 
dress consisting of large blue or white linen and 
woollen gowns; Copts, a wealthy race, with large tur- 
bans and flowing gowns generally black; and in rags, 
and dirty, the picturesque water-carriers and sellers 
not only of water, but other cool drinks, so requisite 
in this parching climate. 

At other times may be seen interesting processions: 
brides covered with crimson dresses, and wearing 
coronets of paste diamonds, walking under a canopy 
supported by four men, and attended by musicians 
playing drums and cymbals. Heading these bridal 



THE NOISE IN T11E BAZAARS. 



27 



processions were always one or more little boys of 
about eight years old, dressed in purple or crimson 
and gold embroidered jackets, mounted on tall Arab 
horses, going to be circumcised. As their faces were 
entirely covered, except little holes for their eyes — the 
brides for delicacy, the boys to save them from the 
Evil Eye — we could not tell their ages ; but from their 
size, no doubt we were accurately informed that the 
boys were eight, the girls eleven to thirteen years 
old. 

The donkeys of Cairo are surprising little animals, 
fearfully neglected and overworked, falling often, from 
want of proper food and fatigue, though ever ready to 
go at a quick trot or gallop ; but in the crowded bazaars 
they are generally obliged to confine their pace to a plea- 
sant amble. In these degenerate clays carriages are 
seen in the broadest bazaars, quite in European style, 
except that the coachmen wear red tarboushes, and 
the carriages are generally accompanied by running 
footmen, in oriental costume, who are indispensable 
to clear the way even in the widest streets. 

Strings of sometimes a score of camels, enhance 
the difficulty of getting through the crowded bazaars 
in the busy time of day. The noise adds not a little to 
the scene ; the auctioneers shouting out the merits of 
the articles on sale — the donkey-boys screaming Ye- 
meenak (to thy right) ; Shimdlak (to thy left) ; Rig- 
lak (thy foot) ; Yaweled (boy) ; Yabint (girl), to 



28 



THE MOSKS. 



every woman of the lower class ; Yasit (to a lady) ; 
Yasheakh (to older men). Amidst all this bustle and 
confusion, the shop-keepers sit in front of their stalls, 
cushioned on their Persian carpets, and smoking 
their pipes, cool and collected, regardless of the noise 
around them. It is slow work transacting business 
with them, as they must be beaten down to nearly 
half they ask. 

The Ghoree Bazaar is, perhaps, the most pictu- 
resque in Cairo ; but the articles on sale in the Tur- 
kish Bazaar are more valuable — rich embroideries, 
carpets, gilt-worked bracelets, red and yellow slippers, 
amber mouth-pieces for pipes, beautiful silver-filagree 
holders for coffee-cups, diamond ornaments, and every 
variety of arms and rich Oriental costume. The 
Khan Khaleel, the part of the Turkish Bazaar sepa- 
rated from the rest by a chain, and, now that the 
Caireens are, they say, impoverished, supported al- 
most entirely by Europeans, would tempt the most 
penurious. 

The mosks are the pride of Cairo. Unwashed, 
unpainted, unrepaired, and even crumbling into dust, 
as many of them are, their beautiful minarets rival 
the palms in gracefulness ; and, combined with the 
glorious street architecture, the elegant fountains, and 
picturesque costumes, are enough to drive an artist 
crazy, that the noise and confusion of the ever-mov- 
ing crowds prevent their drawing them. While the 



SHARAWEE, SULTAN HASSAN. 29 

sun shines, nothing but the plague thins the bazaars 
of Cairo. 

A note from the Consul procured us one of the 
police to accompany us to the principal mosks, 
which is desirable, as the people are often fanatic. 
The first we visited was the Sharawee, dedicated to 
one of the principal saints of Cairo, founded in the 
beginning of the fifteenth century. The view of its 
large court, with its fountain of red and white stone, 
is very beautiful. The gate adjoining, called Bab 
Yooayleh, is very picturesque, combined with the two 
minarets of the mosk, which, with their stages of rich 
machicolations, are splendid specimens of Saracenic art. 

The next we saw was the Mosk of Sultan Hassan, 
which is considered the finest in Cairo. The lofty 
exterior walls are almost too plain, especially on one 
side, but the bold machicolated cornice is very rich. 
The lofty porch, with its machicolations at the angles, 
is very imposing, and worthy of the noble Hypsethral 
Court it leads into, ornamented with four magni- 
ficent arches. The architecture is admirable, though 
the colours are not so bright as I recollect them. In 
the interior there is much to admire. . A grand frieze, 
in large Arabic characters ; another with rich lace- 
work, reminding us of the Alhambra, and two rows 
of coloured-glass, vases, of Syrian manufacture. The 
tomb of the Sultan is not remarkable. The minaret 
is beautiful. 



30 



POINTED ARCHES. 



We then visited the Mosk of Sultan Kalaoon. 
The Morostan, or madhouse, adjoins it, the inmates 
of which are now removed to another quarter of 
Cairo. Formerly the lunatics were^confined here in 
dens like wild-beasts, and some of them, in their 
madness, had torn every rag from their bodies. The 
minarets of the Mosk of Sultan Kalaoon are very 
fine. The Mahrab, or niche for prayer, which shows 
the direction of Mekkeh, is inlaid with mother-of- 
pearl, different coloured mosaics, and little alabas- 
ter columns, and is very rich and beautiful. 

We next visited the old Mosk of Tayloon, founded, 
without a doubt, from the Cufic inscriptions, and 
from the era of that prince's reign, before the end 
of the ninth century. The arches that remain are 
all pure specimens of the pointed style, proving the 
existence of the pointed arch in Egypt three centuries 
before its introduction into England, and above a cen- 
tury before it was used in any part of Europe. 
Besides the arches, the lace-work and Cufic inscrip- 
tions are worthy of observation. 

We then visited the Mosk of El Ghoree, so im- 
posing in its form and rich in its colouring ; the ex- 
terior painted, like almost all the mosks in Cairo, 
red and white. Everyone must admire the beautiful 
octagon, the horse-shoe arches, the roof exquisitely 
decorated with lace-work, which also ornaments many 
of the windows and walls of this mosk. I observed 



THE GREAT COLLEGE. 



31 



four grand columns, probably from some ancient 
temple. The niche for prayer is exquisitely decorated 
with little columns, marble and mother-of-pearl. 

We finally visited the Mosk of Sultan el Hakem, 
who reigned from 996 to 1021. As these arches are 
all pointed with a slight horse-shoe curve at the base, 
they form another proof that the pointed style had its 
origin in the East. It is close to the Gate of Bab el 
Nasr, which is one of the few gateways in Cairo 
worth visiting. 

Our bigoted dragoman made some excuse for not 
taking us to the Mosk of El Ezher, the great col- 
lege of Cairo, which is well worth seeing for its ele- 
gant architecture. I saw it on my first visit to 
Egypt, when it was somewhat dangerous for a Euro- 
pean to enter ; but having a long beard and an Ori- 
ental dress, and being well bronzed with eighteen 
months' tour in the interior, I passed for a Turk. The 
numerous circular groups, forming the classes of the 
different masters, were very curious. 

At all the mosks of Cairo, which are now used 
for prayer, it is necessary to submit to put on slippers 
at the entrance, or have the feet covered with cloths. 
The Moslems always take off their shoes when there 
are people praying, and every right-minded visitor, 
whatever may be his creed, will be careful not to 
offend their feelings. 

The visit to the mosks is rather expensive ; a 



32 



THE CITADEL. 



carriage costs ten shillings, and a fee of about two 
shillings is expected at each mosk ; the janissary 
also looks for, at least, four shillings. 

The citadel, which forms so grand a feature in 
the views of Cairo, is well worth seeing, and may be 
visited on donkeys or in a carriage. The mosk, 
built of Oriental alabaster, an extravagant material 
certainly for so immense a building, will disappoint 
most people who have any taste for architecture. 
Its minarets are so narrow, and absurdly elongated, I 
can compare them to nothing but a couple of tallow- 
candles. How the architect could have erected such 
monstrosities, with scores of admirable minarets around 
him, is extraordinary. The interior of the mosk is 
rich and harmonious, but the chandeliers impede the 
view of it. 

The soldiers prevented us going to the best part of 
the platform of the citadel to enjoy the view. But from 
the part still accessible, we were amply recompensed 
for the fatiguing ascent. 

The whole of the city of Cairo is seen, with its in- 
numerable minarets ; that of Sultan Hassan, immedi- 
ately beneath being particularly distinguishable. In 
the distance, the desert, the Nile, and the Pyramids 
of Geezeh and Sakkara. The inundation, like a lake, 
adds now to the interest of the view, though it nearly 
doubles the distance of the pyramids for those who 
wish to visit them in October. 



JOSEPH'S WELL. 



33 



Joseph's Well, hewn out of the rock by the ancient 
Egyptians, is, they say, two hundred and sixty feet 
deep, and the mouth of it twenty feet by thirty; but, 
encumbered as it is with dirt, few will be tempted to 
descend the winding staircase and explore it. The 
place where Emin Bey escaped, by leaping his horse 
over the dilapidated walls, when Mohammed Ali mas- 
sacred the other Memlooks, is still shown. 

The palace, and especially the gardens of the 
Pasha, are worth seeing for the fine views you may 
there enjoy, more undisturbed than elsewhere. 

The tombs of the Circassian Memlooks, commonly 
called the Caliphs, should be seen.. A ride through 
one of the most uninteresting districts of Cairo 
brought us to the desert, where the strengthening 
breeze, driving away fatigue, enabled us to appre- 
ciate these fine ruins. Three tombs, each with domes 
and minarets, attracted our attention. The one to 
the left, our donkey-boy said, had no name, but I 
believe it to be El Eshraf. The one to the right, 
Nusr Kaedbai E'Zaheree, buried there a.d. 1496, 
has now a very dilapidated straggling appearance ; 
but the minaret and dome are most beautiful. The 
one between these two, called El Berkook, appearing 
in better preservation, and architecturally most inter- 
esting, I selected for inspection, though its minaret 
is injured. The exterior retains considerable remains 
of the red and white stones with which it was faced. 

D 



34 TOMBS OF THE CIRCASSIAN MEMLOOKS. 

There is a pretty little open corridor on the first floor, 
with pointed arches sustained by single columns. The 
entrance-hall, which is in good taste, leads into the 
large court of the mosk, the centre of which was 
decorated with a fountain, but the ornaments are 
all now taken away. The dome over the sanctuary 
had been richly ornamented : the wooden screen and 
several large ornamental inscriptions remain, but the 
door was locked, and we could only examine it very 
imperfectly through some holes there happened to be. 
The door of the tomb was open, and there was 
much to admire in the architecture of the dome. The 
machicolated spandrils, which are so attractive in 
Saracenic architecture, are seen in various parts of 
this building. Said Pasha was there when we arrived, 
in an open barouche, drawn by four large English 
horses, with light-yellow harness, which had a bad 
effect. He was accompanied by several officers on 
horseback, and a guard of twenty cavalry, of different 
regiments, with their flags. 

Close to these tombs I have mentioned, we saw 
another mosk and tomb of Ahd Bey, with a beautiful 
minaret, and exquisite workmanship inside. The 
tesselated marble pavements, a portion of the ancient 
roof, the pulpit, the fragments of glass windows, the 
fine horse-shoe arch, and the profusion of tasteful 
ornaments, both in the mosk and tomb, are well 
worthy of observation. Last, not least, its cleanliness 



TOMBS OF THE REIGNING DYNASTY. 35 

and better preservation than most of the mosks of 
Cairo are remarkable. A road leads from here by 
the left side of the citadel, to another group of sepul- 
chres of Memlook kings, situated, in a wild district, 
beneath the mountain of Mokattam. Among these 
are the tombs of the reigning dynasty. We reserved 
them, however, for another day. The guides at 
Shepheard's will tell travellers that those which I have 
described are not worth going to see, but their wild 
and picturesque situation, with the desert-hills and 
the citadel for a background, will gratify even the 
mere lover of the picturesque. More attractive 
subjects for the pencil an artist could not desire, and 
their architectural merits are very great. Now their 
colour differs little from the desert, but, cased with 
red and white stone, their effect must have been very 
imposing ; and in the interior I saw, in many places, 
traces of the blue and gold which decorated them. 

We returned through the crowded picturesque 
streets of Cairo. I should advise everyone both to 
go and return by that way, as it cannot be too often 
repeated that the streets and bazaars are the greatest 
attraction of this great city. On another occasion I 
visited the tombs of the reigning dynasty ; a long 
ride through some of the more quiet but still pic- 
turesque and interesting streets of Cairo. The exte- 
rior of the tomb is plain, with but a poor minaret. 
The architecture of the interior is good, and it is an 

D 2 



36 



OLD CAIRO. 



imposing sight to see so many well-preserved sepul- 
chres. That of Achmet Pasha is rich and beautiful ; 
but the tomb of Ibrahim Pasha is splendid, and in 
excellent taste : it presents but two colours, a purple 
ground, covered with the richest arabesque designs 
and inscriptions, carved in marble and gilt. It was 
executed by Arabs and Greeks in Cairo, and is 
certainly the finest specimen I have seen of modern 
Oriental art. It unites the greatest simplicity of 
design with the most admirable decorations. 

Old Cairo, originally called Fostat, was founded 
a.d. 638, partly on the site of the ancient city of 
Babylon. It is about three miles from Cairo. We 
first visited the old church called Deyr el Adra, or 
the Chapel of the Virgin, which contains several 
subterranean chambers, where she is said to have re- 
posed. 

The wood and ivory screen is beautiful, and there 
are several old paintings, representing the flight into 
Egypt, and other subjects which are interesting. 
They are said to be of the middle of the ninth cen- 
tury ; but from the style, which is far less stiff than 
paintings of that period, I should take them rather to 
be of the fourteenth century. 

We then visited Muell Elias, or the Convent of St. 
George, the patron saint of the Copts. In one of 
the courts is an iron collar, with a chain, which to 
this day is still sometimes put on lunatics, as a 



THE MOSKS OF AMER. 



37 



remedy for their infirmity. Here, also, are some 
paintings, said to be of the fourteenth century, and 
very much resembling in style those of the other 
church which I ascribed to that period. 

Old Cairo is chiefly occupied by Copts, and we 
saw an interesting specimen of this race sitting before 
his house smoking a pipe. The old man's blue 
turban was exquisitely put on, and he seemed rather 
flattered by my counting the plaits, twenty in number, 
on each side of it. The flatness and regularity of the 
folds were quite extraordinary. A Parisian milliner 
could not have created anything half so symmetrical. 

We then visited the Mosk of Amer, which consists 
of a square court, formerly adorned with two hundred 
and thirty columns ; but a quarter of a century has, 
I find, greatly changed this interesting edifice, for 
many columns are fallen down, and the whole mosk 
seems crumbling into dust. There are many inte- 
resting circular and pointed arches. Prophecy fore- 
tells the downfall of Moslem power whenever this 
mosk decays ; but though it is sadly changed since 
I saw it last — principally, they say, from the effect of 
two earthquakes (eight and thirteen years ago)- — the 
rule of the Moslem is unshaken. 

Near the southern entrance are two columns, ten 
inches apart, which, it is said, no one but a true 
believer in the Koran and the Prophet can succeed 
in passing. As the guides have now corrupted the 



38 



THE ISLAND OF RHODA. 



tradition into a belief that those who can get through 
them will go to Heaven, most ladies who are not en- 
cumbered with too much crinoline make the attempt. 

The extensive mounds round Old Cairo, annoying 
for the dust they create, are the remains of the 
ancient city of Fostat and the Roman fort. As they 
afford no shade, this excursion should be made in a 
carriage, which costs eight shillings. 

A few minutes' sail from Old Cairo is the Island of 
Rhoda, which used to be worth seeing for its beauti- 
ful gardens ; but, since the death of the superintend- 
ent, Mr. Trail, a Scotchman, it has lost its chief at- 
traction. Ibrahim Pasha had a palace there ; and 
the views of Cairo are interesting. 

A succession of palaces is seen on the east bank of 
the river, some of them of tolerable architecture. 
Manufactories, with their lofty chimneys, and, in the 
distance, the citadel, with its mosk, and the range 
of Mokattam Mountains, form a fine background to 
the crowds of gay and shabby boats which line the 
bank of the river. Among about a score of smart 
dahabeeahs, belonging to the Turkish grandees, with 
their pennants displaying the crescent, I distinguished 
the flags of several European travellers. The river 
was enlivened with numerous boats, of all sizes, going 
at a great rate, with a southerly breeze and a strong 
current. 

The foreground to this view consisted of small, 



THE NTLOMETER. 



39 



rude Arab boats, crowded to excess with picturesque 
peasants, male and female, tracking up the river. 
When we anchored there, on my last visit to Egypt, 
waiting for, a favourable breeze, no efforts of our 
sailors could prevent these boats rubbing against ours, 
to the destruction of our fresh paint ; and one boat 
knocked down one of the iron staunchions of the awn- 
ing of our quarter-deck, and smashed a couple of 
windows, reminding me to prepare for similar acci- 
dents, and take a few spare panes of glass up the 
country with me, where it is rarely to be got. 

In the Island of Ehoda is the celebrated Mekkeeas, 
or Nilometer, erected, it is supposed, in the early part 
of the ninth century. It has the appearance of a 
large square well, the sides of which are ornamented 
with arched recesses and inscriptions. In the centre 
is an octangular column, sixteen cubits high, from 
the base to the capital, and formed, they say, of five 
pieces of stone, three of which were visible when I 
saw it. It has been so much injured by accidents 
and time, and there was always so much trickery in 
its management, being used rather to deceive than 
to guide people, that little reliance can be placed in 
the statements about it. I was told, thirty years 
ago, that the water should rise to half the height of 
the beam to be a good Nile. 



40 



TURKISH KIOSK. 



Shoobra. 

The gardens of Shoobra, a delightful ride of about 
four miles from Cairo, may be visited in a carriage, 
or quite as pleasantly, and much cheaper, on donkeys, 
as the road to them lies entirely through a beautiful 
shady avenue of acacia and sycamore trees, affording, 
occasionally, refreshing views of the Nile, with the 
pyramids in the distance, and numerous white villas 
and palaces — among others, one of Abbas Pasha's mo- 
ther and sister. 

An order from the Consul procured us access to the 
gardens, which, though rather stiff, are pretty. Any- 
thing green is delightful in such a climate as this. 
Chinese multhiora roses, geraniums, orange and lemon 
trees, and noble specimens of acacias, form their chief 
attraction. There is, however, a great want of flowers, 
which, at a slight expense and little trouble, might 
be raised in abundance. 

The great attraction consists of an immense marble 
basin, and round it is a covered corridor with kiosks 
projecting into the water, tastefully decorated by Ita- 
lian artists. Furnished with divans and lighted with 
gas, it would remind one almost of a scene from 
the " Arabian Nights." The harem of Mohammed Ali 
used to row him about there in a boat. On the other 
side of the garden is a beautiful kiosk, paved with 
Oriental alabaster, with a fountain in the centre. 



KASR EL AINEE. 41 



The College of Dervishes. 

Every Friday, at two o'clock, is the time to visit 
the Kasr el Ainee, or the College of the Dervishes, 
the monks and freemasons of the East. Few of them 
are distinguished by their dress ; two or three had 
high caps and long robes, and several of them had 
long hair, reaching almost to their waists, which, 
when dishevelled by their exertions, gave them a wild 
and uncouth appearance. 

The Sheakh of the dervishes, a grave and dignified- 
looking man, wore a white turban; and some Sheakhs, 
who were his assistants, had green ones. The others, 
about thirty in number, wore the usual Oriental cos- 
tumes. Some richly-dressed Turks occasionally took 
part in the proceedings. 

The dervishes formed a ring ; and the Sheakh set 
them a-going, moving his head backwards and for- 
wards, beginning with a low grunt, and ending in a 
most unmistakeable howl. They continued this pain- 
ful movement of the head, backwards and forwards, 
increasing gradually its rapidity, for nearly an hour ; 
some bursting out into wild exclamations, and others 
throwing themselves on the ground. Drums and 
pipes assisted to increase their excitement, and to 
render them unconscious of the world around them. 
There appears to be something catching in the mania, 
as I observed several grave-looking Turks, who were 



42 



OBELISK OF HELIOPOLIS. 



there merely as spectators like ourselves, moving 
their heads like the dervishes. 

These men have no pretensions to be called "danc- 
ing dervishes," who whirl round and round with arms 
extended, but "howling dervishes" they may cer- 
tainly be called, " There is but one God, and Moham- 
med is his prophet," being the burden of their 
song. 

Formerly they used to cut themselves with knives, 
which are hung up round the walls of the building, 
but which they are now forbidden to touch, on ac- 
count of the barbarous use they made of them. This 
is a sight which, once seen, few would wish to see 
again, as, from the long continuance, it is monotonous 
in the extreme. 

An excursion should be made to the camp and hos- 
pital of Abouzaleel and the obelisk of Heliopolis. I did 
not inquire, on my last visit to Egypt, whether this hos- 
pital, like many other establishments, has been aban- 
doned by the successors of Mohammed Ali. Whether 
or notj I shall leave the description as a tribute to 
a man whose crimes have, I fear, survived his merits. 

We were three hours in going : we stayed two 
hours there, and were four hours in returning, as we 
visited the tree under which the Virgin Mary is said 
to have reposed on her flight into Egypt, and also 
the obelisk at Metareeh, the only important remains 
of the ancient city of Heliopolis, the seat of learning 



MOHAMMED ALL 



43 



in Egypt, until Alexandria, under the patronage of 
the Ptolemies, surpassed her rival. 

That the Holy Virgin may have reposed on the 
spot is possible, though not probable ; but this fig- 
sycamore tree does not seem to be above three hun- 
dred years old. The hieroglyphics on the obelisk, 
which are very perfect and very beautiful, contain the 
name and titles of Osirtisen I. Adjoining are mounds 
of ruins, of no great extent. The obelisk is about 
half-way to the camp. We only skirted the desert, 
having, generally, at a short distance from us, culti- 
vated land that extends to the river. 

We passed several large encampments of Bedouins. 
When stationary for a long time in a place, they sur- 
round their tents with a palisade of sugar-canes, to 
protect them from the wind and cold. 

At the camp there were few soldiers ; but the hos- 
pital fully recompensed us for our journey. Tyrant 
as he was, Mohammed Ali did much to improve the 
people. He disciplined the troops; and so great was 
his desire to spread education, that he established 
schools, civil and military, where not only the stu- 
dents were clothed and fed, but also received gratui- 
ties of more than a dollar a month, according to the 
progress that they made. 

Attached to this hospital was a college of medicine, 
containing two hundred and fifty students. The 
wards of the hospital were exceedingly clean, and ad- 



44 



THE MOOLED EL KASSANEYN. 



mirably ventilated ; and I was very much gratified 
at the cleanliness of the whole establishment. There 
was a physician, generally French, for each disease. 
There was also an apothecary's shop, a botanical garden 
well supplied with plants ; a lecture and dissecting- 
room. In the lecture-room a French professor was lectur- 
ing on a skull, and an Arab interpreting to a crowd 
of students. The head physician, a Frenchman, con- 
ducted us round the establishment, and showed us 
every civility. 

Festivals of Cairo. 

The festivals of Cairo are very interesting, but 
travellers, spending almost all their time on the Nile, 
have seldom an opportunity of seeing them. 

The Mooled el Hassaneyn is a grand festival, to 
celebrate the birth of El Hassaneyn, whose head is 
buried in his mosk, and, except the Mooled of the 
Prophet, excels everything of the kind celebrated in 
Cairo. I witnessed it on the last and best night — - 
Tuesday, the 7th of November. It was almost a 
scene from the Arabian Nights. 

After driving through dark and narrow streets, de- 
serted, except by a few straggling passengers, each 
with his long paper lantern, carried by himself 
or his servant, we burst into long bazaars, bril- 
liantly illuminated by a line of entirely glass chande- 
liers, lighted with oil ; the smallest had from thirty 



SCENE FROM THE " ARABIAN NIGHTS.'' 



45 



to forty lights, the largest about two hundred. I 
observed two with fourteen rows of lights, having the 
appearance of so many chandeliers, one above another. 
The stems and designs of these chandeliers were al- 
most always beautiful. At the base there was gene- 
rally a large globe of glass, pure as crystal, about six 
to nine inches in diameter. Above these were similar 
globes, or sometimes half-globes, coloured gold, blue and 
red. The chandeliers appeared to be what we should 
call in Europe old Venetian glass, and lighted up ad- 
mirably the beautiful street architecture, the glorious 
white and red mosks with their picturesque doors 
and minarets, and the elegant fountains. Awnings 
of various colours covered portions of the bazaars, 
giving a gay and tent-like appearance to the scene. 

It was, however, the people that interested me 
most. The bazaars and streets appeared a sea of 
white turbans, not one in a hundred wearing only 
the red tarboosh. The shops or stalls were all 
lighted up, and the citizens were seated on the 
benches before them, often on Persian carpets, smok- 
ing their pipes. Fickees were reciting the whole of 
the Koran ; many were listening, whilst grey-beards, 
with spectacles on their noses, were reading portions 
of the sacred volume, making prayers and recitals for 
the sake of El Hassaneyn. 

Our readers, at a prayer-meeting, would be rather 
astonished if any of those present pulled out cigars, 



46 DERVISHES EATING BURNING COALS. 



and enveloped themselves in smoke, as the Captain of 
Knockdunder — in " The Heart of Mid-Lothian " — 
u lighted his pipe, and smoked with infinite composure 
during the whole time of the sermon/' to the great hor- 
ror of David Deans. 

Some of the largest shops were tastefully decorated 
with silk. In several there were dervishes, shaking their 
heads, and shouting " Allah," at a rate that must ex- 
haust their lungs before daylight dawns and the festi- 
val ends. 

There was a great variety of costume. The rich 
Turks wore their nizam dresses, of various colours, 
and the wild Bedoueen their gay and fanciful cos- 
tumes ; but the great majority were dressed in blue 
dresses, often covering vests of rich materials, their 
head-dress consisting of a red cap with white turbans, 
frequently of immense size. 

Then there were people singing to instruments, 
drums, hautboys, and cymbals ; men reciting tales 
and portions of favourite authors ; the confection- 
ers' stalls and cafes, picturesquely decorated. 

The entrance into the Mosk Hassaneyn was very 
crowded, and dervishes were performing zikrs in 
the portico. The crowd was so immense I did not 
try to enter it, nor would it have been prudent in a 
European dress to make the attempt. 

It appears, from Lane, there is little worth seeing 
except dervishes eating burning coals. " One seized 



GOOD-NATURE OF THE EGYPTIANS. 



47 



a piece of live charcoal, which he put into his 
mouth, then did the same with another, another, and 
another, until his mouth was full ; when he delibe- 
rately chewed these live coals, opening his mouth 
very wide every moment, to show its contents ; which, 
after about three minutes, he swallowed. And all 
this he did without evincing the slightest symptom 
of pain ; appearing during the operation, and after it, 
even more lively than before." # 

We went through the narrow streets and bazaars 
in a carriage. It would have been impossible to drive 
through such a crowd in England, but they divided 
themselves often into six or eight rows deep on each 
side of our vehicle. I watched their faces narrowly, 
and I am sure I must have seen thirty or forty 
thousand men, but I did not observe a single appear- 
ance of annoyance, or hear one rude expression. 

We must recollect that most of the people there 
knew that a few years ago there were no such things 
in Cairo as carriages. They were celebrating their 
most solemn festival, the chief business of the evening 
being to listen to the Koran, and this must have 
been sadly interrupted by the disturbance of the men 
who went before the carriage to clear the way, and 
yet not one sign of impatience did I observe. It 
was impossible to have a more remarkable instance 
of the feeling of the inhabitants of Cairo towards 

* Lane, vol. ii., p. 213. 



48 



EXTRAORDINARY SCENE. 



Christians, and of that imperturbable good-humour 
which is the characteristic of the modern Egyptians 
when treated as men, and their customs and religion 
respected. 

The minarets had only a few lamps around them ; 
if these had been sufficient to mark out their archi- 
tecture, as at St, Peter's at Rome, the illumination 
would have been perfect. 

The Mooled E-Nebee, the festival of the birth of 
the prophet, is considered finer still, but is seldom 
seen by travellers. On my first visit to Egypt, 
rambling one day in the Esbekeeh, watching the con- 
jurers and mountebanks playing their tricks, I wit- 
nessed the most extraordinary scene of this festival 
called the Doseh. Above two hundred men, chiefly der- 
vishes, flung themselves full length on the ground, their 
backs upward, and so close as to form a pavement. 
Some dervishes, with drums, ran over them first, as 
if to ascertain that no portion of earth was uncovered, 
and then the Sheakh el Bekree, the chief of the 
dervishes, rode over them. The men on the ground 
were muttering Allah, Allah, but not one screamed, 
and when it was over such a crowd of their friends 
immediately surrounded them, that I could not observe 
if the miracle had succeeded and all were uninjured. 
There are many other festivals, particularly the de- 
parture of the pilgrims to Mecca, which I have not 
seen. 



19 



CHAPTER III. 

The Railway to Suez — Passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites — 
Wells in the Desert — Description of Suez — The Bazaar — Signor 
Mariettas Museum of Egyptian Antiquities — Remarkable Ob- 
jects — Collection of Divinities — Gold Ornaments of the Ancient 
Egyptians — The Sphinx — The Pyramids of Meroe and of Geezeh 
— View from the Summit of the Highest Pyramid — Galleries and 
Chambers of the Interior — The Second Pyramid — The Third 
Pyramid — Tombs near the Pyramids — Remarkable Sculptures 
illustrative of Egyptian Life and Manners — Native Guides. 

Leaving Cairo in the railway train, we were imme- 
diately in the desert, having the citadel and Mokat- 
tam hills on onr right, and on our left cultivated land, 
which gradually receded. In three quarters of an 
hour we came to a high range of sand-hills, which 
appeared to want only a wind to overwhelm the 
numerous caravans on the road, and even the railway 
also. In a quarter of an hour we passed this range, 
and our route lay over an uninteresting desert to 
Ronbirket, an hour and three quarters from Cairo, 
where we halted a few minutes. 

About five hours after starting, we stopped at 
Wafy — like all the stations, a miserable place — our 

E 



50 PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA BY THE ISRAELITES. 

route crossing a flat, uninteresting, generally reddish- 
coloured desert, except where occasionally the colouring 
was varied by large tracts of deep and light grey, from 
the gravel, often streaked with sand, which covered 
the desert. 

We saw a mirage, which, with its reflection of the 
hills, was beautiful ; but far more beautiful was the 
first view of the Eed Sea, from the brilliant contrast 
of its deep blue waters to the light-coloured sand of 
the desert. 

The railway makes many awkward curves in de- 
scending to Suez, but is otherwise very creditable to 
the Pasha's government, and a great boon to our 
Indian travellers. I quite agree with Wilkinson and 
others, who consider that the place where the Israelites 
crossed the Eed Sea to escape from the Egyptians 
was at the ford a short distance to the east of the 
modern town, which I saw camels fording on their 
way to the fountain of El Ghurkudeh. There are 
two fords the camels have to pass. The first is to the 
north-west. The second is reached after crossing a 
long sandy island. An east wind would swell these 
fords immensely. This wind rises here very sud- 
denly, and sometimes it is very strong, increasing to 
a prodigious extent the depth of the waters. 

It is not likely Moses would have been so bad a 
pilot as to have passed the ford, and, as some suppose, 
never have attempted to pass the gulph until where 



MOSES' WELLS- 



51 



it was ten to twelve miles broad, nor is it likely that 
the Egyptians would have followed them at such a 
place ; but seeing that the Israelites passed the usual 
ford safely, not suspecting a miracle, they would 
naturally follow them. 

Moses' wells are about three hours distant from 
Suez, when the wind is strong and favourable ; and 
the difficulty of returning (which is often great) 
may be avoided by sending donkeys from Suez. It 
is generally necessary to wade or be carried through 
the water for a quarter of a mile, and they are about 
three miles distant from the water. There are six 
wells, all brackish but one, which is tolerably sweet. 
I was not able to go there, but it was described to 
me as a little oasis in the desert, teeming with fruits, 
flowers, orange lemon trees, and vegetables in great 
profusion, doubly interesting from the contrast to the 
terrible wilderness which surrounds it. 

Suez has always been described as a wretched, 
miserable little place, but it is not without interest. 
It gives you the impression of a town which had seen 
better days, and was almost crumbling into dust, but 
is now patched up again, to bask in a brighter gleam 
of prosperity than it has enjoyed for ages. There 
are a number of good houses, two stories high, with 
, wooden-latticed windows, of frequently very tasteful 
designs, which are most picturesque, though now 
sadly ruined. 



52 



BAZAAR OF SUEZ, 



The bazaar is large and crowded, and though 
almost everything comes from Egypt, the shops are 
better than in the provincial towns of that country. 
The display of cutlery was very brilliant, more attrac- 
tive than diamonds to the Bedouins of the neighbour- 
hood. The hotel is rather clearer (eleven shillings a 
day) than Shepheard's, but far more comfortable; and 
the climate is so fine, and the air from the desert so 
pure, invalids would find it a good place for the 
winter. 

The Museum of Egyptian antiquities collected by 
Signor Marietti, and now very well arranged at 
Boolak, is well worth visiting. If a good catalogue 
were made of it (which I hear the present Pasha has 
ordered), stating the places where the antiquities 
were found, the interest in them would be increased, 
and they would be a good introduction to the study 
of Egyptian art, and especially useful to the many 
travellers who begin their voyage of the Nile without 
having given the least attention to the subject. I 
will briefly mention the principal objects deserving 
notice. 

A granite sarcophagus, with the name of Shofo, 
the builder of the great pyramid, upon it ; two kit- 
chens, with the prenomen of Amun-m-he I. ; a very 
fine figure in basalt, with the name of Rekof, an , 
early king, found in the tombs near the Pyramids ; a 
stella. with the name of Amun-m-lie II ; an 



THE MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES. 



53 



admirable large alabaster statue, with a pedes- 
tal which appears to me not to belong to it. 
There are several fine mummies in this room, of 
different periods ; a large faulchion, and curious 
silver ornaments ; a splendid set of vases of the 
Genii of Amente, and an exquisite little vase, of 
variegated coloured glass. Among the pretty collec- 
tion of bronzes, a Typhonian figure is very remarkable 
— a bear erect, with its forepaws reared, seated on an 
Egyptian capital of the papyrus form, with a portion 
of the shaft for pedestal. 

The collections of little divinities and emblems in 
the cases are curious and well arranged. The rich 
collections of gold ornaments will attract the atten- 
tion of every visitor, and undoubtedly give us a very 
high idea of the luxury and elegance of the ancient 
Egyptians. Among these treasures will be observed 
a very elegant necklace, with ten rows of ornaments 
— one of jackals seated, another of alternately lions 
and antelopes, the last row consisting of the papyrus 
capitals reversed ; two large heads of Horus form the 
clasps. There is a beautiful gold faulchion bearing 
the royal name ; gold and" silver models of boats ; 
elegant bracelets ; gold figures on a blue ground, re- 
presenting the spirits, and the king on his knees 
before Seb with the attributes of Osiris ; magnificent 
breast ornaments of serpents ; mirrors, chiefly of 
gold, a beautiful gold dagger, rings, pins, and a 



54 



PYRAMIDS OF GEEZEH. 



variety of other ornaments in exquisite taste, which I 
need not describe more minutely, as they were exhi- 
bited, I am told, in the Egyptian court of the Inter- 
national Exhibition last year. 

It is a long ride, and a very fatiguing day's work, 
to visit the Pyramids in the autumn. Travellers 
should therefore postpone this excursion until their 
return from their voyage up the Nile ; and it will 
save much fatigue if they start from and return to 
their boat. 

In March, an hour and a half's donkey-ride 
through flourishing villages, rich plains, and often 
forests of noble palms, brought us to the Sphinx, 
which we could almost imagine seated there in calm 
dignity watching our arrival — the venerable guardian 
of these mighty sepulchres. Mighty indeed they ap- 
peared, towering above the picturesque groups of lofty 
date trees, their effect and great height being in- 
creased by their being built in a part of the dreary 
and barren wilderness elevated a hundred feet above 
the rich and luxuriant plain. 

On my return from the Pyramids of Ethiopia, I 
observed that notwithstanding the immense superiority 
in size of the pyramids of Egypt, those of the Upper 
Country have now a decided superiority as regards 
their form and architectural beauty. The elegant 
porticoes and the rims of smooth stones still remaining 
at the angles of the Pyramids of Meroe, give them a 



PYRAMIDS OF ETHIOPIA. 



55 



great advantage over the Pyramids of Geezeh, now 
stripped of their casings. The Pyramids of Meroe, 
however, only excite our admiration as specimens of 
ornamental architecture, and create little surprise on 
account of their dimensions. These vast edifices fill 
you with amazement, their immensity exceeding all 
the ideas it is possible to have conceived of them. 

When by chance you observe the pigmy dimen- 
sions of persons standing near them, or of Arabs, or 
travellers climbing to the summit, scarcely covering a 
stone or two of their vast mass, and when you reflect 
that the largest of these edifices is now seven hundred 
and forty-six feet square, and four hundred and fifty 
feet high, that there are 85,000,000 cubic feet of 
masonry in one Pyramid, and that there is stone suffi- 
cient in these three Pyramids to construct a city of 
considerable dimensions, palaces, public buildings, 
houses, and even walls, you then may form a correct 
notion of the immense labour, wealth, and materials 
spent on their construction. 

Then their vast antiquity is imposing. The names 
of the kings Shofo and Nou-Shofo, of the fourth dy- 
nasty, who are supposed to have reigned 2,400 
years B.C., were found by Colonel Vyse painted as- 
quarry marks on stones in the great Pyramid, and 
may still be seen in the tombs adjoining most recently 
opened. These are, therefore, the most ancient 
monuments in the valley of the Nile ; for, I must now 



56 



ANTIQUITY OF THE PYRAMIDS. 



confess, I was wrong in supposing the Pyramids of 
Ethiopia to be more ancient, and that the knowledge 
of the arts descended instead of ascending the river. 

I shall follow always the dates of Wilkinson, which 
appear to me to be the safest, I have read the able 
works of Rosellini and Bun sen, but I think the time 
is not come for adopting the conclusions of the latter. 
The materials, though annually increasing, are still 
insufficient for us to decide that the lists of Eratos- 
thenes are chronological, and those of Manetho simply 
historical. The field of the Pyramids has yielded to 
enterprising excavators royal names, corresponding 
to a surprising number in the lists of the early dynas- 
ties, proving beyond a doubt that they are not mytho- 
logical. Those of the two Shofos and Mencheres, 
the builders of the three great Pyramids of Geezeh, 
invest with a marvellous halo these world-renowned 
monuments ; but surely it is better to wait for clearer 
and more decisive evidence before we admit a chrono- 
logy which makes the world so much older. I say 
this with great deference — non nostrum tantas com- 
ponere lites. 

It appears, however, very certain from the disco- 
very of royal names in and around the different groups 
of Pyramids, that all those sepulchres, about sixty in 
number, were erected before the reign of the thir- 
teenth dynasty, which commenced, according to 
Wilkinson, 1860 B.C. ; and that the largest, if not all 



THE GREAT PYRAMID. 57 

of them, were tombs of Pharaohs who reigned over 
Egypt. 

The height of the great Pyramid, when entire, ac- 
cording to Colonel Vyse, was four hundred and eighty 
feet, and its present height, as I have said, four hun- 
dred and fifty feet. The blocks diminish in size 
towards the summit ; the lowest fifty rows of stones 
measure 138 feet 3 inches ; the second fifty, 113 feet 
4 inches ; the third fifty, 108 feet 2 inches ; the 
fourth, 89 feet 11 inches ; the last row three feet six 
inches high — two hundred and one rows of stones 
measuring 453 feet 2 inches. 

The ascent on the east side, even for ladies with 
tolerable nerves, is not difficult, having the assistance 
of the Arabs. The view from the summit is exten- 
sive, but cannot be called very fine. The principal 
points are Cairo and its environs, the Mokattam 
hills, and the river and its verdant banks. On the 
other sides the Pyramids of Sakkara, Dashoor, and 
Abooseer, and the bleak and terrible wilderness. 

The entrance of the great Pyramid, (and of the 
others) is on the north side, but not exactly in the 
centre, being three hundred and eighty feet six inches, 
from the east angle, and three hundred and ninety- 
seven feet from the north-west angle. Over the en- 
trance are two immense masses of stone resting 
against each other, forming a pent roof arch. 

I shall not trouble the reader with details and 



58 



INTERIOR OF THE GREAT PYRAMID. 



measurements of the interior, which have been given 
so often. In the first gallery, which descends at an 
angle of twenty-seven degrees, will be observed the 
beautiful manner in which the masses of calcareous stone 
are smoothed and united together. The second gal- 
lery, which ascends at the same angle, has also been 
highly finished, but is now much broken, but broken 
regularly. These breakings facilitate the ascent to the 
high gallery, the sides of which are formed of eight 
slabs, each slab overlapping the one beneath it. The 
ascent of this at the same angle is perfectly easy. 
There are benches at each side of this gallery with 
holes in them, made, no doubt, like the others I have 
mentioned, for raising the sarcophagus. 

Two galleries lead from the high gallery to rooms, 
the one at the top to the King's chamber, where are 
now the remains of the granite sarcophagus. The 
flat roof of this room is formed of seven immense 
blocks of granite, and the halves of two others are 
visible. In the side walls are small holes, which have 
now been ascertained to be tubes to conduct air into 
the interior of the pyramids. 

There are five very low rooms, the highest with a 
pent roof, exactly above this, only made to protect 
the royal chamber from the great weight of masonry. 
Ladders would be required to visit them. A flat 
gallery leads from the bottom of the high gallery to a 
room called the Queen's chamber, which is exactly in 



THE SECOND PYRAMID. 



59 



the centre of the Pyramid, and has a pent roof. The 
masonry of this room is also admirable. Few will 
attempt to descend the shaft, and examine the other 
galleries in the Pyramid. It is the admirable speci- 
mens we have in these rooms and galleries, of the 
masonry of the Egyptians, at that very early period, 
which excite our wonder and admiration. 

The second Pyramid measures now at the base six 
hundred and ninety feet, and the height is four hun- 
dred and forty-seven feet, six inches. This Pyramid 
is remarkable for about a quarter of its stone casing 
remaining at the top. Around the Pyramid are im- 
mense quantities of granite scattered about. The 
chambers opened by Belzoni were rather difficult to 
pass. An inclined gallery led into a flat one, the 
entrance of which was stopped by a mass of granite. 
A passage cut through this impediment led into a 
gallery. After a short distance there was a descent 
to another gallery, which apparently led under the 
other, but was then closed. The principal gallery led 
into a granite chamber with a pent roof. Another 
and easy entrance has now been made sixty feet 
above Belzoni's, and the latter has been laid com- 
pletely open by Colonel Vyse. 

The third Pyramid, opened by Colonel Vyse, mea- 
sures now at its base 333 feet, and its present height 
is 203 feet. It must have been far more elegant, as 
Pliny says, having been cased with granite, of which 



60 



THE THIRD PYRAMID. 



there are still some remains. The entrance is now 
very striking, from the immense blocks of granite 
scattered about. A very small hole leads into a 
gallery lined with granite, now much corroded. In 
the chamber, which has a pent roof, was found a sar- 
cophagus, containing the coffin of Mycerinus, or Men- 
cheres, third king of the fourth dynasty, the lid of 
which is now in the British Museum, where also the 
corpse of the good king rests in peace. 

It will be observed that this Pyramid shows how it 
was built in perpendicular stories, like the Pyramids 
of Abooseer and Sakkara; and it is supposed that all 
the Pyramids were built in the same way, and the 
triangular spaces afterwards filled up, and thus 
finished from the top to the bottom, as Herodotus 
states. This Pyramid is supposed to have been 
finished by the beautiful Queen Mtokris. 

The Sphinx is now lamentably injured ; but, at a 
distance, its expression may still be seen. It is de- 
scribed to be Egyptian in features, but, I must con- 
fess, the cheek bones appear to me higher and more 
African than any Egyptian statue I ever saw. With 
the exception of its fore-legs, it was cut out of the 
solid rock, in which chambers may, perhaps, still be 
found. The sand has again covered it up to the 
breast. Traces of the red colouring can still be dis- 
tinguished. The body may be seen for a consider- 
able length ; but in its present formless state, if it 



THE SPIIINX-TOMBS. 



61 



were not for the head, it would he taken for a mass 
of broken rock. Wilkinson thinks it was probably 
constructed by Thothmes III., but the only names 
found on it, when cleared, were those of his succes- 
sors, Thothmes IV. and Rameses II. 

Tombs near the Pyramids. 

I shall refer to the hand-book £*r the numerous 
ruins, small Pyramids, temples, and tombs, surround- 
ing the three great pyramids, merely briefly mention- 
ing a few of the tombs best worth seeing, and re- 
cently opened. 

A few paces from the Sphinx is Campbell's tomb, 
excavated by Colonel Vyse. It consists of a pit 53 
feet deep, surrounded by a trench 68 feet square, 
and 73 feet deep. You see at the bottom a stone 
sarcophagus, most imposing in the distance, and at 
the sides of this great excavation are two other sar- 
cophagi. 

Two hundred feet south-south-east of the Sphinx 
is a splendid tomb, opened by Marietti, rich in gra- 
nite and alabaster, but without hieroglyphics. West 
of the great Pyramid is a tomb, with well-executed 
hieroglyphics, containing the name of Shofo. This 
tomb, which is very small, still retains its colouring ; 
but the subjects of the sculpture are merely offerings, 
with the description of them in hieroglyphics above. 
There are some oxen and goats well drawn, The 



62 



PRIVATE TOMBS. 



figures are in slight relief, and their execution, though 
not the best, exhibit at that early period — 2,400 
B.C. — no indication of their being done when Art was 
in its infancy. 

Adjoining the latter tomb is another one, opened, 
it is said, by Lepsius. In the front little room, I 
copied the name of Nou-Shofo, also found in one 
of the small rooms of the great Pyramid, whom 
Wilkinson considers to have shared the throne with 
Shofo. The sculptures, which are much injured, re- 
present offerings — among other presents, wild oxen 
— and also representations of carpenters at work. 
This room leads into a gallery, with the roof formed 
of large stones, cut in the shape of an arch. On the 
left side are figures slaughtering cattle, and also 
offerings. This gallery leads into another little 
room, in which I copied the name of Shofo. The 
sculptures retain considerable traces of colour, and 
represent long-horned oxen, and various offerings of 
geese and gazelles. Though the names of these 
early kings remain, the portraits appear, in almost 
every instance, to have been wilfully destroyed. 

A little distance from the south-east angle of the 
second Pyramid are several tombs, too much injured 
to interest the generality of travellers. In one, con- 
taining only hieroglyphics, I copied the name of 
Eekof, given by Wilkinson. I heard of another 



NATIVE GUIDES. 



63 



tomb well worth visiting, but now occupied by a 
Dervish, who will not allow any one to see it. 

The inhabitants of the village adjoining the Pyra- 
mids reap a famous harvest from the crowds of tra- 
vellers from Cairo, particularly from those who show 
any fear of them. The way to deal with these men 
is to avoid striking them, but to be firm, and oppose 
the least attempt at imposition. Eeward them fairly 
and even liberally, according to the time they serve 
you, but never increase what you have given them, 
on account of their threats or their entreaties. 
There are still, I hear, some bad characters amongst 
them, but they are now kept in better order than 
they used to be. 

The first time I visited the great Pyramid, in order 
to stay a long time inside it I stripped myself almost 
naked, and gave my arms, clothes, and a valuable 
watch to my Arab servant. When I came out my 
servant gave me my arms and clothes, but when I 
asked for my watch, he said he had given it to the 
Sheakh, who appeared confused, and pretended to 
search for it, but declared he had not got it. I drew 
a pistol from my belt, and levelled it at his head, and 
in an instant the rascal gave me my watch. 



64 



CHAPTER IV. 

A Journey to theFyoom — Ruins of Memphis — Statue of Rameses II. — 
The Pyramids of Sakkara — Examination of One — Mummy Pits 
of the Ibis and other Animals — Interior of a Tomb — The Pyra- 
mids of Dashoor — Crossing the Desert — Medeeneh, the Capital 
of the Fyoom — The Water of the Mle — The Fyoom the Garden 
of Egypt — Discovery of the Locality of Lake Mceris — Remains 
of Crocodilopolis —Reception by the Governor of the Village of 
Metaret — Hospitality of the Sheakh el Bellard — Arrival at Sen- 
hoor — Excursion to the Village of Fedanir — A Travelling Guard 
— Encampment of Bedouin Arabs — A Picturesquely-dressed 
Bedouin — The Village of Nesleh — Visits of Invalids — A Bedouin 
Musician — The Ruins of Kasr el Bint — A Desert formerly Culti- 
vated — The Ruins of Kasr Kharoon — An Ancient Tomb — 
Remains of the Chief Temple of the Fyoom — A Primitive Boat 
— An Inharmonious Crew — The Desert Island of El Korn — 
Limits of the Lake — Difficulty of Procuring a Guide — Lost in 
the Desert — Arrival at Cairo — Pyramid marking the Site of the 
Celebrated Labyrinth. 

It is difficult now to meet with the ghost of an ad- 
venture, or to see much of Oriental life, in the usual 
voyage of the Nile, from Cairo to the second cataract; 
but when we mount a dromedary and penetrate any 
distance from the river^ we find ourselves often among 
races little changed by the strong governments which 



PYRAMIDS OF ABOOSEER. 



65 



have subdued the spirit and the pride of the Fella- 
heen — the peasants of the Nile. A journey to the 
Fyoom may still afford a stirring variety to the mo- 
notony of life on the Nile, though not the novelty it 
was a generation ago, when I made the journey. 

On the 30th of July, when most travellers are driven 
by the great heat to cooler climates, I left Geezeh at 
three, and passing the large Pyramids of Abooseer, 
which are well worth visiting, for the Apis Ceme- 
tery, discovered since my visit, and following the 
edge of the desert, arrived at six at the village of 
Sakkara, a short distance beyond the Pyramids of the 
same name. My pace having always been the amble 
of the dromedary, I conceive the distance to be ten 
miles. I took up my abode with the Sheakh, and, 
in defiance of fleas, slept sound, after a hot and 
fatiguing day. 

Next morning I mounted my dromedary, and, in an 
hour, at a quick pace, arrived at the village of Me- 
trahenny. The country, though flat, is beautiful in the 
extreme. Large fields of doorah were in their full 
beauty, of a luxuriant green-yellow colour, surrounded 
by groves of magnificent palm-trees. There is no dis- 
trict richer, or more attractive, than this in the whole 
valley of the Nile. Splendid palm-trees, generally de- 
tached from one another, and unusually tall, are planted 
in the form of avenues. There is also a verdure and 
freshness here at this season — August— when other 

F 



66 



MEMPHIS. 



lands in the East are generally dried up, which was 
grateful in the extreme. 

Memphis was annually protected from the inunda- 
tions of the river by canals, reservoirs, and embank- 
ments. When the city was ruined, these entrench- 
ments and reservoirs were soon, no doubt, destroyed, 
and the ruins of the city covered by the inundations 
of the river. Yast quantities of the materials were 
probably carried away. I have observed numerous 
fragments of them in Cairo and the adjoining villages. 
There are still some remains of the ancient metropolis. 
Besides some brick ruins of little importance, there is 
a splendid fragment of a statue, in calcareous stone, 
of Barneses II., now lying a considerable depth be- 
neath the level of the ground, with its face downwards, 
but, nevertheless, well preserved — the body part is 
very perfect. The figure is in the usual position, its 
arms on each side^ with a scroll in its hands. The 
statue is broken below the calf of the leg. Some few 
bits of the fragments of the legs and feet were, when 
I saw it, scattered about. The length of the statue, 
from the top of the head to the end of the hand, is 
twenty-five feet six mehes ; the length of what is en- 
tire, thirty-six feet.; the head and mitre measure 
nine feet, without the beard, which is three feet long. 
The situation of the statue, so much buried in the 
soil, sufficiently explains why no other remains of 
Memphis are visible, Mr, Horner's agent ascertained 



THE EARLY EXISTENCE OF MAN. 67 

the depth of the accumulation of soil near this statue 
to be nine feet, being, within a fraction, three and a 
half inches to a century. He found there were thirty 
feet of the same soil under the statue, and from the 
lowest part the instrument brought up pottery, re- 
cording, as he conceives, the existence of man 13,371 
years before a.d, 1854. Discoveries of burnt brick 
have been made at a greater depth in other localities, 
nearly the same latitude, in Egypt ; but few persons 
who are well acquainted with this country, and the 
capriciousness of the Nile deposits, would place much 
reliance on such calculations, ignorant as we are 
what may have been the rate of accumulation in the 
more remote ages, and what accidents may have ac- 
celerated it in different places, The statue is sur- 
rounded by fields of doorah, and by the noble palm- 
trees which now adorn the site of this celebrated city. 
It is, probably, one of the four statues which, accord- 
ing to Diodorus, were erected before the great Temple 
of Ptah. 

The town of Metrahenny is in the distance, and 
there are traces of canals and embankments on the 
road to Dashoor. I went from Metrahenny to the 
Pyramids of Sakkara, situated three-quarters of a 
mile from the village of that name. 

The one I entered is constructed of stone, and in 
five stages, the triangular portions not being filled up. 
In the Pyramid are chambers. The first I entered, 

F 2 



68 



THE PYRAMIDS OF SAKKARA. 



forty feet long, was extremely difficult to pass. I 
then descended fourteen steps, making fourteen feet, 
each step being about a foot, and entered into an- 
other gallery, thirty-three feet long ; and then de- 
scended four steps into a third gallery, sixty feet 
long. This gallery leads into another, forty feet long 
and three feet wide. At the end of this fourth gal- 
lery are two passages, one leading towards the east, 
the other towards the west. Taking the former, 
wdrich continues for twenty-seven feet, we came into 
another gallery, twenty feet long. At the end of 
this sixth gallery, is a chamber twenty feet square, in 
a rough state, in which I observed fragments of 
granite lying about. 

Having returned to where, as I mentioned above, 
there are two galleries, leading east and west, I found 
that the gallery towards the west extends for twenty- 
three feet, and leads into another having the usual di- 
rection, north to south. I continued along this from 
sixty to seventy feet, and, feeling my respiration dif- 
ficult, and having a long way to return, I proceeded 
no further. The Arabs informed me it extended an 
immense distance, but that there was no chamber. 

Near the Pyramids are many pits of the ibis 
and other animals, and an innumerable quantity 
of small tombs. The only one then worth seeing 
was to the east of the great Pyramid. The 
front room contains six pilasters, which form three 



THE PYRAMIDS OF DASIIOOE. 



naves ; the roof of the centre one is hollowed into the 
shape of an arch, and covered with smooth-cut stones, 
about six or eight inches thick, kept together by la- 
teral pressure and cement. This arch was covered 
with sculpture of the time of Psammitichus ; it leads 
into a room of the most highly-finished style, but the 
sculpture is not very pure. There is a deep well 
in this room, and on each side of it are lateral 
chambers ; the subjects of the sculpture are not par- 
ticularly interesting — men carrying birds, &c; but 
there are numerous tablets of hieroglyphics. Since 
my visit great discoveries have been made here by 
Mr. Perring. 

The next day I left Sakkara, in the morning, at 
break of day, and, riding hard, arrived in two hours 
at the Pyramids of Dashoor. 

The first Pyramid we arrived at is seven hundred 
feet square, and its present height three hundred and 
twenty feet. It had originally a smooth casing 
of stone, but now it is almost destroyed. The en- 
trance into the Pyramid, now opened, was then 
covered with rubbish and stones. The second Pyra- 
mid is about six hundred feet square, and two hun- 
dred and fifty high. This also has been much injured. 
On the north side there is an entrance into the inte- 
rior, twenty-eight feet above the ground. The ascent 
to the entrance was not very difficult, but the descent 
particularly so, as it is almost perpendicular, and 



70 



BRICK PYRAMIDS. 



there are very small holes for the feet. The Arabs 
assisted me over the easy part, but where I really re- 
quired assistance it was as much as they could do to 
take care of themselves. The entrance, which is five 
feet six inches by six feet, leads into a passage three 
feet six inches square. This extends for seemingly a 
great distance. I penetrated one hundred and eighty 
feet, and then found the passage completely closed 
up with sand and stones. This gallery is cased with 
calcareous stone, highly polished. The inclination of 
the gallery is very rapid. 

At a short distance from this Pyramid are two 
brick ones. It is difficult to judge what has been the 
size of the one I visited, as it is now an immense mass 
of ruins, but Colonel Vyse says it measured originally 
three hundred and fifty feet square, and was two hun- 
dred and fifteen feet high* It is probably the brick 
Pyramid of Asychis ; the bricks contain more straw 
than is usually seen. The false Pyramid is, as its 
name indicates, more imposing at a distance than on 
approaching it, and is rarely visited, being generally 
considered not worth the trouble. 

I arrived at the village of Dashoor at one, and re- 
posed there until four in the afternoon, and then 
started for the Fyoom, We were eight hours, at the 
rate of nearly four miles an hour, in crossing the 
desert, and arriving at the first village of the Fyoom, 
We had some difficulty in procuring an entrance into 



THE CAPITAL OF THE FYOOM. 



71 



the caravansary, to repose for a few hours. This 
small desert is difficult to cross during the night with- 
out a good guide. Fortunately Ave met a courier 
who knew the road ; otherwise we should have been 
obliged to confine our pace to that of the caravan of 
donkeys which crosses the desert every evening. I 
found that the habeer or guide whom I had engaged 
to show me the road, had never once been at the 
Fyoom, and was one of the most stupid of the Arab 
race. We passed in the desert a small caravan that 
fancied they had lost their road, and were sleeping 
until the morning. 

Starting the next day at sunrise, we passed several 
modern villages, and the sites of several ancient ones. 
A short distance from Medeeneh we met the Mah- 
moor, the governor of the district, and, after the usual 
compliments, he invited me to return with him, but 
I excused myself until the next day. 

Medeeneh, the capital of the Fyoom, I was sur- 
prised to find so considerable a city, with so large a 
bazaar, particularly so crowded a one.- The city, 
surrounded by immense plains,- is visible,- for a con- 
siderable distance, from almost every direction. The 
brick mounds of Arsinoe, the ancient Crocodilopolis, 
are very conspicuous. The extent of the mounds, 
and the elegant remains of ancient sculpture which 
they contain, are alone sufficient to identify the site 
of the ancient capital. The modern town, said to 



72 



THE BAHR-YOOSEF. 



contain ten thousand inhabitants, is rather superior 
to this class of Arab towns. There is a regularity in 
the principal streets that gives it very much the ap- 
pearance of a little capital. 

The Bahr-Yoosef flows through the town, and the 
banks are rather pretty near the bridge. Some 
authors have said it divides itself into eight canals, 
but I was told there were as many as fifty canals, 
which derive their names from the village they furnish 
with water. They say there are now sixty villages 
in the Fyoom. When the Nile rises almost the whole 
country is inundated, and the inhabitants drink of the 
water of the canals ; but when it has retired, for the 
remainder of the year they drink of the water of the 
cisterns. The Nile not having as yet risen, I find 
the water most unpalatable, and it cannot be healthy. 
Any other water than that of the Nile, exposed, as 
this is during the summer, in shallow reservoirs and 
canals, would become perfectly putrid and totally un- 
fit for drinking. 

The Fyoom has ever been considered the garden 
of Egypt, though the desert has been permitted to 
encroach in every direction. The habitations of men 
and the roots of the vine are seen in various districts 
which are now absorbed by the desert. Its fertility 
is still remarkable. I was told that Mohammed Ali 
derived from this small province 90,000 ardebs* of 
barley, 55,000 of wheat, 20,000 of beans, 80,000 of 

* An ardeb is nearly five English bushels. 



REMAINS OF CROCODILOPOLIS. 



73 



flax, and every month 6,000 pieces of linen, and a 
great deal of oil. The manufacture of otto of roses, 
once so celebrated here, was much deteriorated by 
that Pasha taking it into his own hands. 

We met on the road several caravans of donkeys, 
carrying oil to Cairo, and also flowers and fruit — 
grapes, and particularly the fruit of the prickly pear, 
which are here remarkably fine. This is the only 
province of Egypt where this plant abounds. 

I took my lodgings in one of the caravansaries, 
being more independent than in the house of the 
Sheakh, and, after dinner, examined the remains of 
Crocodilopolis. In the modern town I observed 
several pieces of granite and sandstone, which, no 
doubt, came from the ancient city. Close to the 
banks of the Bahr Yoosef I saw a fragment of a 
granite column five feet six inches in diameter I 
then went to the north of the modern city, where 
there is a vast extent of mud ruins. I came first to 
a solid mass of stone cut in a semi-circular shape, and 
about fourteen feet high ; the exterior was covered 
with cement, the surface of the interior was rugged 
and broken, but I could trace the legs of six colossal 
statues. Close adjoining was the fragment of a 
monolithic column of calcareous stone. Among the 
ruins of some brick houses I observed a curious frag- 
ment of light rose-coloured granite ; and I then came 
to a fragment of a statue of sandstone. 



74 



THE LAKE MCERIS. 



Almost at the northern extremity of the ruins was 
a beautiful fragment, in rose-coloured granite, of a 
seated statue. The sculpture of the kilt, head, and 
hands was excellent ; the legs were then partly 
buried. The hieroglyphics were defaced, but, from 
the few I made out, it appeared to me to be of an old 
king. From another beautiful fragment of granite I 
copied the name of Rameses II. , and there were 
pieces of columns scattered about. My impression was 
that excavations might be of great service, as every 
fragment then exposed was of good style. 

When I was in the Fyoom the sites of the Lake Mceris 
and of the Labyrinth were undiscovered. It was near 
the village of El Eslam and the Bahr Bela Ma that 
Linant Bev discovered the site of the celebrated Lake 
Mceris. Near the Bahr el Nesleh it was thirty feet 
wide, and thirty-seven feet high. This renowned lake, 
fed by the Bahr Yoosef, called, from its great size, 
an eighth branch of the Nile, from the remains of the 
dams that have been traced, may have been of vast 
extent ; but there are good reasons for suspecting 
that the descriptions of it, in ancient authors, are 
greatly exaggerated, and it may have been chiefly an 
immense trench conducting the waters of the Nile into 
what had previously been an imperfectly irrigated region. 
Wilkinson says that the artificial lake discovered by 
Linant Bey was the only lake connected with the irri- 
gation of this province in ancient times, and was 



THE LABYRINTH. 



75 



constructed by Moeris, or Aniun-m-he III., the fifth 
king of the twelfth dynasty, whose name was also 
found by the Prussian Commission in the Labyrinth, 
built by him, with the Pyramid that served as his 
tomb. As Bnnsen says [ vol. iL ], the Lake Moeris, 
the glorious work of the twelfth dynasty, has disap- 
peared, with the exception of some remains of dykes 
and canals. It is very probable that this great 
work, and the immense Labyrinth, with its Pyramid, 
exhausted the resources of the empire, and accounts 
for its shortly afterwards succumbing, apparently 
without a struggle, to the Hyksos; and these Shep- 
herd Kings, or Nomad hordes, with the vitality of a 
hardy and uncorrupted race, reigned over the dege- 
nerated Egyptians at Memphis (the more remote dis- 
tricts probably tributary to them), from the twelfth 
to the eighteenth dynasty,* leaving no records of their 
civilization, or deference for the religion of the con- 
quered race. As Bunsen [ii., 459] says, no brilliant 
conquerors, no imperishable monuments to extort the 
wonder of posterity— on the contrary, a period of mis- 
fortune and disgrace. 

At sunrise, having, with difficulty, procured a 

* A period, according to Lepsius, of five hundred years; according 
to de Rouget, nineteen hundred years ; and according to Bunsen, nine 
hundred and twenty-two ; while Wilkinson, adhering more rigidly 
to the monuments, with great probability assigns only about three 
hundred and forty years to this period. 



76 



ANCIENT OBELISK. 



guide, I visited the obelisk two miles west from Me- 
deeneh, and about half a mile from Biggig. It is not, 
as is usual, square at the base, and is also not 
pointed at the summit. One of the two pieces it is now 
divided into, is twenty-two feet six inches long, and 
seven feet wide. The other is twenty feet long, and, at 
the base, five feet ten inches broad, and, at the other 
end, five feet three inches broad, and three feet four 
inches deep. On the rounded summit is a groove 
for an ornament. The sculpture is much injured, 
but I think it contains representations of the gods 
Mandoo, Ptah, and Amun Ra. The king represented 
making offerings to the divinities is Osirtasen I. 
The situation of this obelisk is remarkable, so far dis- 
tant from Crocodilopolis, in a fiat plain, where now 
no other fragment of antiquity is to be seen. The 
inundations of the Nile have covered, perhaps, the 
other remains of the city. The obelisk may have re- 
mained standing a considerable time, and thus escaped 
a similar fate, until, at length, some stronger inunda- 
tion than usual sapped its foundations. The hand of 
time has, fortunately, spared the name of the founder 
of this fine monument, and establishes its place 
among the oldest antiquities now existing in the val- 
ley of the Nile. 

Leaving Medeeneh at twelve, I arrived in two 
hours at the village of Metaret. I there found 
the Governor encamped in great style. His own 



HOSPITALITY OF A SHEAKH. 



77 



tent consisted of one large audience-room, hand- 
somely furnished with divans and carpets, and behind 
it were several rooms for the harem. The decora- 
tions of the principal tent were green and red. Be- 
hind this there were six other white tents, occupied 
by his suite, cowhasses, cooks, &c. About a dozen 
horses were tethered, in the usual Turkish way, to 
stakes in the ground ; also a great number of camels 
for his luggage, and donkeys probably for his harem. 
A number of loiterers were assembled around the tents 
— servants, peasants, and petitioners. 

He received me with the usual Turkish politeness, 
and, after coffee and a pipe, gave me a cowhass 
mounted on horseback, and furnished me with letters 
to the Sheakh of the village near the lake, to provide 
me with boats, guides, or whatever I might require ; 
and another to the Sheakh el Arab, the head of the 
Bedouins. 

Having no time to lose, I took leave of the Mali- 
moor, and, declining his kind invitations, arrived in 
two hours at Senooris, and was hospitably received 
there by the Sheakh el Bellad. He gave me a room 
thirty feet long, and desired me to order what I wished 
for, and being a jolly fellow, and most decidedly a 
lover of good cheer, he must, I think, have despised 
me for preferring a cup of green tea and a few French 
olives, which I had with me, to a dish of pillaf and a 
roasted sheep. 



78 



THE LAKE BIRKET EL KORN. 



The room I occupied is generally shared by all his 
guests ; and, I fear, I must have been voted a bore 
by about a dozen visitors, who, on my account, had 
to put up with more indifferent quarters. I saw 
them from my window, seated in a circle in the court, 
around a circular table, loaded with a coarse kind of 
pillaf, after which they despatched a fine fat sheep. 
Though they had no other beverage than water, a 
more jolly and merrier party I never saw assembled 
around good English cheer. 

The inhabitants of this village are remarkable 
for their industry, and consequently wealth. My 
worthy host has the character of being very rich, and 
seemed to have great delight in exercising the hospi- 
talities his situation enforced upon him. With a good 
house, horses, and harem, and in the enjoyment of 
health, and esteemed by all, who so happy as the 
Arab Sheakh ? 

I set out early the next morning, and in two hours 
and a half arrived at Senhoor, and went to 
the house of the chief of the village, having a 
letter to him from the Mahmoor. He told me 
that he had no boat to visit the Lake Birket el 
Korn, but that he would send to an adjoining village 
to seek for one. In the meantime, I made a little 
excursion, of five hours, to the village of Fedanir, 
hoping to discover some antiquities. I only found 
a few pieces of stone, two and a half feet long, re- 



ARAB ENCAMPMENT. 



79 



mains, probably, of an ancient village. The banks of 
the canal were planted very thickly with palm-trees. 

Having dined at Senhoor, and finding it impossible 
to procure a boat there, I determined to make the 
tour by land. The Sheakh gave me a guard of six 
men, armed with staves — very necessary in those days, 
as the plains in this neighbourhood were covered with 
numerous encampments of the Bedouin Arabs, who 
had the character, at least from their enemies, of 
being a bad set, and eager for opportunities of plun- 
dering. Their encampments are very picturesque, 
consisting of coarse tents, at the entrances of which I 
observed groups of women and children, and some- 
times beautiful girls. Around the tents were dogs, 
flocks of sheep, and sometimes a horse or two, realiz- 
ing our ideas of patriarchal life. 

We were an hour in going from Senhoor to Abux- 
ir, a village surrounded with beautiful plantations. 
Shortly afterwards we passed a deep rocky bed of a 
river. I here met a Bedouin on horseback, ex- 
tremely picturesquely dressed. A gay turban curi- 
ously put on, a large white burnous, so arranged as 
to exhibit to advantage his pistols, gun, and sabre, 
enhanced the effect of a bold manner and spark- 
ling black eyes. In a tone of voice as of one accus- 
tomed to command, and as if he had some notion of 
commanding my purse, he asked me who I was, and 
where I was going, and seemed surprised when I told 



80 



APPLICATION FOR MEDICINE. 



him to the Sheakh of the Bedouins, but changed his 
tone a little when informed that I had a letter from 
the Mahmoor, and was a traveller. 

We were an hour and a half in going from the vil- 
lage of Abuxir to the village of Nesleh, which is situ- 
ated in the centre of an immense plain sloping down 
from it on every side. The inhabitants are Bedouins, 
and, I should conceive, rich, from the immense flocks 
of sheep, goats, camels, and horses which I observed 
on the surrounding plain. They were driving some 
of them into the village for the night. There was 
also an air of comfort about the houses in the village, 
which showed that, if their circumstances are not 
better, their habits are certainly more cleanly than 
those of the Fellahs. The Sheakh, unfortunately, was 
not at home, having gone to a village a short dis- 
tance from there, where he kept his harem; but I was 
received into his castle, if such I may call his forti- 
fied house, and a very good supper was served 
me. 

Several invalids came for medicine ; many had 
really occasion for some, and others were appre- 
hensive of soon becoming unwell. Having cured 
my cowhass of a bad ophthalmia with my mixture of 
ten grains of zinc to an ounce of water, and the 
cowhass having extolled my skill, all the blind and 
rich in the district assembled around my door, some 
in confirmed consumption — a very rare disease in 



KASR EL BINT. 



81 



Egypt — and one that was quite blind, as he declared, 
from the sting of a serpent on his foot. 

I received a visit there from one of the musicians 
of the Bedouins. His instrument was a kind of gui- 
tar, with a wooden bowl, covered with a skin, with 
two strings made of about fifty horse-hairs. He sang 
one of the war-songs of his tribe. His voice was 
very melodious, and his countenance expressed great 
animation. The Bedouins seemed to listen with great 
delight to his performance. 

I left the residence of the Arab Sheakh at sunrise, 
accompanied by one of the Bedouins as a guide. 
The first antiquity I arrived at is called the Kasr el 
Bint — the castle of a girl, a great heiress, who re- 
sided there. These ruins are of 'ancient bricks, which 
had been covered with cement, and are, most proba- 
bly, of the time of the Romans. I observed, for al- 
most a mile in extent, fragments of hewn calcareous 
stone and pottery, which have evidently been the 
site of some ancient village and edifices. The dis- 
tance from the lake I should conceive to be about 
four miles. All this side of the lake is now a desert, 
but I found in several places, within a few inches of 
the surface, an excellent soil, undoubtedly once culti- 
vated. The surface is now a reddish-coloured sand, 
with small flints and quartz occasionally disseminated, 
and sometimes there are remains of stone buildings. 

We then visited the ruins of Kasr Kharoon, the 



82 



THE CHIEF TEMPLE OF THE FYOOM. 



most important in the Fyoom, about twenty miles 
distant from the Sheakh's house. 

The first ruin I arrived at was a small edifice, I 
believe a tomb, eighteen feet wide, and twenty feet 
long, and, including the platform before the entrance, 
which is six feet long, the total length is twenty-six 
feet. It is constructed of brick, covered with cement, 
but the foundations are of stone ; the exterior was 
ornamented with pilasters. Opposite the entrance is a 
recess, over which is an arch, and on each side is a 
similar recess, which probably were arched, but are 
now destroyed. The pavement is flagged, and much 
injured ; and there were cellars, or perhaps a well, 
underneath. 

Four hundred ancf fifty feet north-west of this ruin 
is another almost square edifice, resembling the beau- 
tiful building at Phihe, generally called Pharaoh's 
Bed, with four columns on each side ; but there are 
no capitals remaining, nor any sculptures visible. 
The columns are built in the wall. 

Sixty feet distant from this is the chief temple of 
the Fyoom. The court of the temple is almost en- 
tirely destroyed. On each side of the door leading 
into the interior of the temple was a semi-circular 
column ; part of one is remaining. The breadth of 
this temple is sixty-three feet, the length ninety-three 
feet. As a ruin it is rather picturesque. Over the 
entrance into the interior is the winged globe. 



THE sheakh's hospitality. 



88 



There are four rooms, leading out of each other, the 
doors, as usual, corresponding ; and over each I ob- 
served the Egyptian ornaments consisting of the 
winged globe and serpents. At the end of the inner 
sanctuary there seem to have been three imitations 
of monolithic temples, but they are now almost de- 
stroyed, and several secret chambers are discovered, 
which are very curious. Out of the principal four 
rooms are lateral chambers on both sides, from which 
are staircases leading to the upper story, which ap- 
peared to be another temple, the plan of which was 
almost similar to the one beneath. In the sanctuary 
is a recess, and on each side of it are the remains 
of a figure. One is too much injured to judge what 
it has been ; but the other, though also much injured, 
has been decidedly that of Sevek, with the crocodile's 
head. The style of the sculpture is in high relief. 
All these ruins are Roman. 

We went to a village near a canal for the night. 
The Sheakh, as usual, received me most hospitably, 
and although, suffering from the extreme heat, I sel- 
dom partook myself of his fare, my servants and cow- 
hass made ample amends. He offered me, as usual, 
a room, but finding that the interior of their houses 
are, at this season of the year, if not always, full of 
vermin, I slept in the open air, one of the greatest 
luxuries in this clime. 

At daylight I started for the Lake of Birket el Korn, 

G 2 



84 



A PRIMITIVE BOAT. 



two hours distant, and found a boat ready for me, built, 
in the most primitive manner, of logs of wood, kept 
together in the shape of a boat by cross pieces, and 
old rags thrust in between the logs. The rags re- 
quired to be constantly kept damp, otherwise they 
would have fallen out. Having, in Upper Nubia, 
crossed the Nile in many a worse apology for a boat, 
I had no hesitation in trusting to it. The boat was 
impelled by two clumsy crooked oars, each worked 
by six fishermen, whose costumes were very pictu- 
resque ; their turbans of nets most characteristic of 
their usual employment. The wind being contrary, 
the motion of the boat was very disagreeable, and 
the shouting, bawling, and singing of the rowers was 
intolerable — -decidedly the most inharmonious crew I 
ever had the misfortune of being in the same boat 
with. 

We were four hours in reaching the wild and 
desert Island of El Korn. The centre and highest 
part of the island consists of a ridge of natural rocks. 
On the west side I saw fragments of stone, bricks, 
and columns, and the bones of a mummy. I also 
found traces of six small columns, two feet in dia- 
meter. 

Adjoining this island is another, much smaller, and 
without any remains. In this island there is also a 
range of natural rocks. 

The lake is now thirty-five miles long, and seven 



THE BIRKET EL K011N. 



85 



miles broad. The eastern side and north end are sur- 
rounded by hills that prevent the possibility of the 
lake having ever been much extended in that direc- 
tion. Three-fourths of the west side is now a bare 
desert. The land on the west side rises slightly and 
gradually from the lake, but it is evident that 
anciently the lake did not extend higher, as remains 
of stone buildings exist within a few miles of the 
water, and there can be no doubt that the lake has 
not, for a long period, extended beyond its present 
limits, as I found the stumps of ancient vine-trees 
within a very short distance from the water. The 
depth is said not to be very great. Wilkinson found 
the deepest part to be twenty-eight feet. The water 
is, at this season, very brackish. This is accounted 
for by the nitrous quality of the rocks, but it is 
said that the inundation has the effect of sweetening 
it to such a degree as to render it sufficiently pala- 
table to the natives. 

The next morning I rode, in three hours, from 
Senhoor to a village near the desert I wished to have 
reached the night before, but could not induce the 
peasants of the village to conduct me over the plain 
after sunset, there being several encampments of the 
Bedouins on the road. There is a short road from 
Senhoor, by the mountains, to the Pyramids of Gee- 
zeh, but I could not, for any sum, procure guides to 
conduct me, the Arabs having a bad character. Two 



86 



LOST IN THE DESERT. 



Bedouins agreed to conduct me by that route to the 
Fyoom, but, to my astonishment, demanded such an 
exorbitant price for one day's journey, that I took the 
other road, determining to return by the Libyan Hills. 
I now understand why they were seemingly so unrea- 
sonable. Having little upon me to lose, I would 
gladly have returned by the mountains, preferring to 
run some risk, rather than delay my departure for 
England, but now there was no choice. 

As no guide was to be found for the mountain 
route, I started in the afternoon for Cairo, with a 
Turk who pretended to know the road. He was 
on horseback, but mounted on my dromedary, 
at its ambling pace, I kept him generally on the 
trot. Soon after dark, when we were about half- 
way across the desert, I became rather sleepy, and 
my eyes were closed, but I was roused from a kind of 
half-doze by a cry from one of my servants, that we 
had lost our road. I perceived by the Polar Star 
that we were going in a southern direction instead 
of north-east, and were in no path, but lost among 
the sand-hills. I therefore determined to wait until 
the moon was risen, which I knew would be in less 
than an hour. 

The Turk confessed he had lost the road, but per- 
sisted that he was in the right direction, and was de- 
termined to continue on. As he could not persuade 
me that south was north, we separated. 



RETURN TO DASIIOOR. 



87 



In loss than an hour the moon rose, and I sent my 
servants to seek for a path. They soon found one, 
though it was almost completely covered with sand. 
I followed it with some difficulty, and it led us into 
an immense plain near a canal, two hours and a half 
from Dashoor. The Turk, whilst I was dozing on my 
dromedary, had led us so much to the south that, if 
we had continued with him, we should have found 
ourselves at Benisooef. 

I procured a guide from the first village, but, at 
three in the morning, we had a difficulty in rousing 
the Sheakh. At six we arrived at Dashoor, after a 
journey of fourteen hours, and in five hours more, 
including the crossing the river, we were in Cairo. 
Deducting the hour I stated we waited for the moon, 
we were eighteen hours on our dromedary, generally 
at an amble, never walking, often at the quick pace 
of the animal, certainly not averaging much less than 
four miles and a quarter an hour. W e rode, there- 
fore, seventy-six miles in eighteen hours — no slight 
undertaking. 

I was delighted to see again the palm-groves of 
Memphis ; the inundations partly covering some of 
the fields, making them still more attractive. 

The least fatiguing way of visiting the Fyoom is 
from Benisooef, the distance, even in the time of the 
inundations, being less than forty miles, and at the 
most favourable time not above thirty miles. 



88 



THE LABYRINTH. 



To the north of Hawara el Kassob, eight miles 
from Medeeneh on this route, are the ruins of a crude 
brick Pyramid, calculated, when entire, to have been 
three hundred and forty-eight feet square. It is built 
according to the cardinal points, of dried bricks 
mixed with much straw. Each brick is seventeen 
and a half inches long, eight and three-quarters wide, 
and eight and a half thick. The Pyramid was origi- 
nally cased with stone, some remains of which are 
still to be seen near the base. Its actual measure- 
ment, according to Perring is, base, two hundred and 
seventy feet — height, one hundred and six feet [Bun- 
sen, ii., 327 ]. It was opened by Lepsius, and the 
discovery by him of the name of Amun-m-he (Moeris,) 
in the ruins, establishes that king's fame as the founder 
of this renowned edifice, and, as I have said before, 
it is very probable this Pyramid was his tomb. 

It marks the site of the celebrated Labyrinth, 
which, from the excavations made by the Prussian 
Commission, was built round three sides of an open 
area five hundred feet broad, and six hundred feet 
long, with the Pyramid at the north, or open end ; 
the whole extent measuring about eleven hundred 
and fifty feet east and west, by eight hundred and 
fifty feet north and south, including the area. The 
plan of Lepsius gives an excellent idea of the Pyramid, 
and of the innumerable chambers of the Labyrinth, and 
his view of the walls now remaining shows their con- 
struction, but it is destitute of architectural beauty. 



89- 



CHAPTER V. 

Preparations for the Yoyage up the Mle — Hiring a Boat— Crew and 
Accommodation — Furniture and Provisions for the Voyage — New 
Race of Dragomen — Engagement of my Former Dragoman — 
Purchase or Hiring of Boats — Advice to Invalids — Destruction 
of Vermin — Painting — Form of Contract in Hiring a Boat — 
Avoidance of Vermin — Expense of Stores and Canteens — Pur- 
chase of Fresh Provisions — Medicine Chest — Sanitary Precau- 
tions — Diseases of the Country — Ophthalmia — Books and other 
sources of Amusement. 

The first business, on arriving at Cairo, is to secure 
a boat for the Nile voyage, Every one I consulted 
recommended me to some friend of their own to assist 
me in finding one, cautioning me against every- 
body else, especially the dragomen, who get a large 
percentage when they hire boats for travellers. I 
therefore thought it best to go alone to select one, 
knowing sufficient of Arabic to make my own bargain. 
We went to Boolak, and saw a number of furnished 
boats, looking very dingy, for which they asked 
sixty and seventy pounds a month. At last we found 
one unfurnished, for which they asked thirty pounds, 



90 



SELECTION OF BOAT. 



and I beat down the reis, or captain, to twenty-one 
pounds. The next day I went with the Consul's 
janissary to see others, but finding none so large and 
so cheap, I concluded my bargain for twenty-one 
pounds a month — the reis to have it painted and 
ready for the twenty-eighth of October ; but I should 
not have got it at this price if I had not engaged it 
for four months. The boat, or dahabeeah, is seventy- 
five feet long, of which thirty feet are cabins — the 
crew consisting of a reis, pilot, and ten sailors. The 
furnishing cost about forty pounds, so that for thirty 
pounds a month we had one equal to those of sixty 
and seventy pounds ; the furniture fresh, far more 
comfortable than what we saw in the furnished 
boats, and our own at the end, to sell, or keep it for 
another season, as we might wish. 

Having hired our boat, we had then to furnish and 
provision it. The former may really be done with- 
out very much trouble, if even the traveller has not, 
as I recommend, brought most of his things from 
England. 

When we visited the Turkish bazaar we bought our 
carpets for about thirty shillings each, for which they 
asked us three pounds. As we passed the china 
bazaar, half an hour's delay enabled us to get all the 
crockery and glass we wanted. In the same ride we 
passed through a saddle bazaar, and bought a don- 
key's saddle, for excursions above Cairo, where, ex- 



FURNITURE AND PROVISIONS. 



91 



cept at Thebes, the donkeys have no saddles, and 
are not accustomed to bridles. In the Uzbekeeh, or 
large square, there are hardware and provision shops, 
where any one may purchase whatever his wants 
suggest. I recommend, especially, the London 
Depot, a provision shop behind the Oriental Hotel, 
kept by a Maltese called Moussa. Travellers have 
merely to give him a list, and he will find everything 
they want. 

The reis got our cabins covered with mats, but 
light-coloured oil-cloth would be preferable, to avoid 
fleas, bugs, and other vermin. I prefer, however, 
mats, being much warmer, and, during two winters, 
it was very rarely we had even a flea in the boat. 

The cook, when you have hired him, will arrange 
the kitchen, and would purchase all other articles 
requisite. There is no doubt, however, that the more 
a traveller buys for himself the less his furnishing will 
cost him, as there are few servants who do not exact 
a commission for their trouble. 

The lady or ladies of the party, in their leisure 
hours before arriving in Egypt, or in Cairo, may 
make coverings for divans and twenty-four cushions, 
and curtains for windows and doors. About sixty 
yards of chintz, or warmer or more expensive mate- 
rial, should be purchased in Europe. The chintz 
ought to be strong, for the cushions to bear being 
stuffed with cotton without being lined. The shape 



92 



A NEW RACE OF DRAGOMEN. 



of tlie cushions should be long and narrow. The 
usual width of chintz is, however, long enough. 
They are required for two divans in the saloon, and 
two on deck. I had also a divan over my bath in 
the principal sleeping-room. 

We were above a week at Cairo before we decided 
upon servants. A new race of dragomen have sprung 
up ; attractive certainly in their gay costumes, but, 
from all we heard, a most untrustworthy set. Not 
content with their high wages — including board 
and lodging, eight to twelve pounds a month — they 
cheat their masters in every possible way. A 
system, which is called a cotima, or mejowleh, that 
has sprung up, has made them all very wealthy, and 
indifferent to modest gains. Travellers, to save them- 
selves trouble, or in order to know the sum total of 
their expenditure, pay so much for the journey, or so 
much a day, their dragoman paying all expenses. 
As they get their boat and provisions cheap, one-half 
at least of what they receive is generally clear profit. 
I spoke to several, but the characters I heard of them 
deterred me from taking them. Those best acquainted 
with the country advised me to take servants of the 
old school. I therefore agreed with Mohammed 
Abdeen, my dragoman when I visited Ethiopia in 
1833. He is certainly much aged, but I had proofs 
of his great talents in my travels in Ethiopia. He 
speaks Italian perfectly, which is better than English 



THE BEST SERVANTS. 



93 



indifferently, like most of the other dragomen, and 
as he takes an interest in me from our having en- 
countered some perils and fatigues together, I thought 
it better to put up with the defect of his age, than 
take one whom I knew nothing of, and who might, 
perhaps, be continually trying to cheat us. 

For a second servant, or cook, I engaged Musta- 
pha, once a servant of Sir Gardiner Wilkinson's, and 
recommended in his hand-book on Egypt, whom 
I engaged at the same rate of wages, namely, six 
pounds a month. He speaks English, and can serve 
as dragoman or interpreter, if requisite. 

On my last visit, as Mustapha had quarrelled with 
Abdeen, and refused to travel with him, and as an ex- 
cellent cook is the most important matter on the Nile, 
I engaged him as cook and dragoman, and his nephew, 
a youth of twenty, at a pound a month, as second 
servant. The latter was very clean and attentive, and 
was never once, during four months, out of the boat. 
I add a list of dragomen,* but as their characters 
are continually changing, the most sober often falling 
into drunken habits, their last certificate should be 
carefully examined, and inquiries made of the Consul, 
or Mrs. Leader, the clergyman's wife, an excellent 

* Mohammed Abdeen — Mustapha Mohammed — Mahmood — Hassan 
Botche — Mohammed Rachede — Mohammed el Adli — Mohammed 
Abd-el Atee — Mohammed Gazoue — Mohammed Achmet Said — Mah- 
moud el Berbere — Hamet Abd-el Hader. 



94 



DESCRIPTION OF BOAT. 



person, who is always glad to be useful to travellers. 

The price of boats is now so enormous, that tra- 
vellers with moderate incomes are obliged to join to- 
gether, which is very disagreeable. 

Of about one hundred boats up the Nile in the 
season of 1861, there were not half a dozen that were 
not what is called u a cotima," that is, as I have stated, 
so much a head paid for each person. When the 
party consisted of four, or more, the price was gene- 
rally about twenty-five shillings a day each, 

Most of the boats have two small cabins on each 
side of the passage leading to the saloon, which is 
generally from nine to fourteen feet long, a bed-room, 
large enough for two, at the stern of the boat, and 
on the sides of the passage leading to the latter room 
from the saloon are always two other small bed-rooms, 
a water-closet and washing-room ; some boats, like 
mine, are without the two first rooms. Six persons 
may, therefore, be accommodated in the largest boats, 
as the Arab servants always sleep out of the cabin. 
I met with several parties of five. Those, however, 
who go for health should be alone, or with a single 
friend, or their own family, that they may be inde- 
pendent, and stay, at least, four months up the river, 
and most of that time in Nubia ; that they may linger 
at the places which suit them best, and close the 
windows and doors before sunset. The changes of 
temperature are very great, and so injurious to invalids, 



HIGH PRICES ON THE NILE. 



95 



that they must take precautions which to healthy 
companions would be annoying ; and for invalids to 
travel together, as frequently happened this winter, 
one to have anxiety for the other, is certainly not de- 
sirable. 

I met with one party, consisting of two ladies and 
their invalid husbands, most estimable people. One 
lady was very anxious to prolong her stay in Nubia, 
the best climate on the Nile, which was curing her 
husband. The other lady was, with good reason, 
anxious to return to Cairo for medical advice. 

Some invalids, I found, got nervous in the solitude 
of Nubia, finding themselves six to eight hundred 
miles from doctors and civilized life. Some like to 
linger where there are antiquities to occupy their 
minds. Others care only for shooting ; and not a 
few get tired of each other's company. 

It may matter very little in other countries how 
the rich spend their money, but their raising the 
prices of the Nile have really excluded invalids with 
limited purses from a climate which would, probably, 
cure them. I have known so many who have been 
obliged to spend their winter at Cairo, and others 
who have not ventured to go to Egypt, that, invalid 
as I am, and suffering under the severest bereave- 
ment, I should not have taken the trouble to collect 
my notes, and publish this volume, if 1 hf-d not 
thought I could be of some use to invalids and tra< 



96 



PURCHASE OF BOATS. 



vellers of limited means, by showing how cheaply the 
voyage may really be made. 

It is generally considered necessary for invalids to 
go to warm climates for two winters, to effect a radi- 
cal cure. Their cheapest way to Alexandria, and the 
most agreeable, as the boats are seldom overcrowded, 
is by the steamers direct from Liverpool, touching 
only at Malta. They could in Liverpool supply 
themselves as well as at Fortnam and Mason's 
in London, with the provisions, &c, mentioned in an- 
other page, though many of these things travellers 
may take from their homes. Most dragomen have 
canteens, and will, if required when engaged them- 
selves, let their masters have the use of them for one 
pound to two pounds a month. 

A very slight study of the language is requisite to 
be able to make a bargain for a boat ; but, without 
this knowledge, travellers should procure a letter to 
some honest man at Alexandria or Cairo, who would 
assist them, without taking any heavy per-centage. 
Invalids intending to spend on the Nile four or five 
months, two seasons consecutively, would do well to 
purchase a boat at Alexandria. Four of the best 
boats on the Nile, belonging to a pasha deceased, 
two of wood and two iron ones (which latter, be it 
remembered, cannot pass the cataract), with furni- 
ture and canteens, were offered for sale in one lot, 
and only sixty pounds per boat was bid ; and it was 



AN ARAB CREW. 



97 



understood they were to have been sold for one hun- 
dred pounds each. I believe that, with careful search 
and cautious bargaining, a very good unfurnished 
boat may generally be bought for one hundred and 
twenty pounds. 

Though not considered requisite in these days, I 
should have it sunk, if possible, to destroy all insects 
and rats, and the latter nuisance may then be for ever 
avoided, if care is taken to moor some distance from 
the bank. All suspicious holes in the boat should 
be carefully stopped, and the boat well painted in- 
side and outside, which will cost ten to twelve pounds, 
if done by a Maltese, which is desirable, for, though 
the Arabs understand admirably harmony of colour- 
ing, their paint is always bad. A saloon looks well 
painted a bluish-white, with panellings picked out in 
gold. In this dry climate a boat may be painted in 
a week or ten days — the time required to find a reis, 
or captain, and a crew of ten men. These will cost 
about ten pounds a month, and six and twenty 
shillings less if the boat is a small one, and requires 
only eight sailors. For twenty-six shillings a month 
the reis would take care of it during absence in 
the summer months. In purchasing the traveller' 
should not only examine carefully the boat, but also 
the sails, oars, the sandal, or small boat, and the 
awnings for the deck and quarter-deck. Unless the 

H 



98 



CONTRACT FOR A BOAT. 



boat can be sunk, he should avoid purchasing an old 
boat, as such boats generally abound in rats. 

If purchasing be thought too much trouble, good 
large boats, from two hundred and fifty to three hun- 
dred ardebs, may be hired at Alexandria or Cairo — 
if for four or five months, from twenty to twenty-two 
pounds a month ; and smaller ones, sufficiently large 
for two persons, at even fifteen pounds, the owner 
paying for the expense of painting. In the note 
below # is a form of contract, which must be written 

* 1. The boat, or dahabeeah, with the reis and sailors, to be at 
the entire disposition of Mr. H. 2. The reis not to take other 
passengers or goods. 3. The reis and sailors to be obedient to orders, 
and no one to quit the boat on any pretext, without permission 
of Mr. H. 4. The reis to navigate during the night, when the wind 
is favourable ; the boatmen never to tie the sails, but to keep the rope 
(shagool) in their hands, that is, to keep it free (khalus), and the boat 
to be towed in the day when requisite. 5. The boat never to be 
stopped at any town when the wind is fair, without the permission of 
Mr. H. 6. The boat to be taken to the second cataract by Mr. H. 
7. The reis. undertakes that his boat, sails, and oars shall be in good 
condition, and his ballast sufficient. 8. The boat to be sunk twenty- 
four hours, if requisite, to destroy the vermin ; and the boat never to 
be moored near other boats for rats to pass in. 9. The decks of the 
boat to be washed every morning, Mr. H. giving one or two piasters a 
week to the man selected by him for this work. 10. Mr. H. to pay 

for the hire of the boat piasters for the month, if used only 

one month ; piasters for each month if kept two months ; 

piasters for each month if kept three months ; piasters 

for each month if kept four months. 11. Mr. H. not to be answer- 
able for any extra charges, except the passing the first cataract, or for 
accidents to the boat then or at any time. 12. The Baksheesh to 

depend entirely on the behaviour of the reis, and the men. 13. 

piasters to be paid by Mr. H. before leaving Cairo; piasters 

the first of each succeeding month the boat is kept. 14. Mr. H. not 
to be liable if the boat is burned, unless clearly his fault. 



THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT, 



99 



out iii Arabic at the English Consul's. The daha- 
beeah should have its small boat, or sandal, with an 
awning, and mast, and sail, which, if not provided, 
will cost fifty shillings. 

Over the door of my cabin, to keep out Hies, I had 
a fisherman's old net, doubled and dyed blue ; and 
over all the windows, at one side of my cabins, thin 
muslin curtains, carefully nailed; and, keeping the 
other windows closed, I was thus almost entirely free 
from mosquitoes and flies, the plagues of Egypt. 

The fitting out your own boat is rather amusing 
than otherwise. A visit to the numerous furnished 
boats shows what is requisite, and, instead of dingy 
furniture, too frequently full of insects, you have 
everything fresh and clean, and it is the traveller's 
own fault if he does not keep it so. There is no 
touching pitch without being defiled, and if he has 
not clean servants, or allows the sailors or peasants 
to rub their garments against him, he must expect to 
suffer but I must say that, out of England, I never 
enjoyed more perfect immunity from anything of the 
kind. 

Stores and canteens, &c, are much dearer in 
Egypt than in Europe. I paid four pounds six shil- 
lings for a barrel of biscuits, not so good as a friend 
of mine bought at Fortnum and Mason's for one 
pound sixteen shillings. Salt butter is three shillings 
a pound at Cairo. Potatoes, a great requisite on the 



100 



REQUISITES FOR THE BOAT. 



Nile, are seldom to be got good in Egypt early in the 
season. They may be purchased at Malta, and still 
better at Marseilles. Those who sail from that port 
may buy many things there, and give an order to 
Fortnum and Mason's, who will send whatever else 
they require, by the Southampton boats, at eleven 
shillings a hundred-weight freight. Those who sail 
from Liverpool to Alexandria would do well to bring 
everything with them. In making out the lists I give 
the initials of the places, chiefly England and Cairo, 
where they may be purchased, but what may be got 
in England may almost always be purchased at Mar- 
seilles.* 

* Two narrow horsehair mattresses, or one large one for one or two 
persons in the stern cabin, E. M. 

Other narrow mattresses, if required, for other cabins, E. M. 

Forty yards of stout brown holland for divans, &c, E. C. 

Foot-tub, E. C. ; washing ditto, E. C. ; tea-kettle, E. C. 

Canteen, containing cutlery and glass, tea-things and crockery, E. C. 

Coffee-pot, E. C. : candlesticks, E. C. ; small bellows, E. C. 

Oil-cloths for the cabins, if Egyptian mats not preferred, E. C. 

Macintosh, or American oil-cloth, to preserve the divans on deck 
from damp, E. 

Easy chairs, E. C. ; a fine sieve, E. C. 

Brushes and tin for sweeping cabins, E. C. ; gridiron, E. C. 

Rat trap, E. C. ; Hammer, screws, nails, and brass hooks, E. C. 

Tin jugs and basins, E. C. ; tin pan for boiling milk, E C. 

The copper pans for cooking, if dragoman does not find them, C. 

Blankets, E. ; towels, napkins, sheets, table-cloths, E 5 C. 

Tables and common chairs, C. 

Segadehs, or Persian carpets, if required, C. 

Flags and pennants at John Pay's in C. or E. 

Goolahs, or water-bottles, C. 

Jar for filtering ditto, C. ; fly-flaps, C. ; donkey-saddle, C. 
Kitchen, C. ; arms and ammunition, E. ; measuring tapes, E. 



PROVISIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. 



101 



With good management, fresh provisions on the 
Nile eost very little. As you pass Girgeli and Erment 
a stock of turkeys may be bought at one shilling 

Stationery and drawing-materials, E. C. 
Telescopes, thermometer, E. 
Umbrellas for the sun, E. C. 

Pipes and tobacco, C. ; two mirrors three or four feet high for the 
saloon, E. C. 

Small ones for cabin, E. C. : irons for ironing, E. ; a small bell, E. C. 
Iron rods for the curtains of windows and doors, C. 
Sixty yards of chintz, or other material, for divans, cushions, 
curtains, &c, E. M. C. 

Cotton for stuffing divans and cushions, C. 

Provisions for the Boat. — Potatoes, E. C. ; one barrel of white 
flour, as it is not always to be got in Cairo, and cost me three pounds, 
E. M. ; some brown flour, if required ; one barrel of biscuits, E. C. ; 
some dinner ditto, E. C. ; one keg of beef, E. C. ; salt butter if liked, 
E. C. ; preserved meats, fish, vegetables and soups ; Julian and green 
peas I found the most useful, E. C. ; twenty pounds of soap for wash- 
ing, E. C. ; twenty ditto, Macaroni, E. C. ; a good cheese, E. C. ; con- 
diments, E. C. ; two bottles of cayenne pepper, E. C. ; one bottle of 
black pepper, E. C. ; four packages of salt, E. C. ; two bottles of 
pickles, E. ; two bottles of salad oil, E. C. ; two bottles of distilled 
vinegar, E. C. ; (a good stock of preserves is required for breakfast, as 
fresh butter is seldom to be had good). One bottle of curry -powder, 
E. C. ; one case of arrowroot, E. C. ; six pounds of tapioca, E. C. ; 
six pounds of sago, E. C. ; six pounds of barley, E. C. ; thirty pack- 
ages of spermacetti, wax, or composite candles, E. C. ; wine, with 
drawback of duty, E. ; sherry, champagne, bordeaux, and port (as a 
medicine), and brandy, E. ; bitter beer, E. ; ten pounds of tea, cheap 
and good at Malta ; several loaves of white sugar, E. C. ; starch, E. C. ; 
a case of raisins, E. ; a drum of figs, C. ; a case of French plums, E. ; 
almonds, E. ; basket of rice, C. ; fifteen okres of mishmish, or pre- 
served apricots — with rice, the best sweet on the Nile, C. ; twenty 
pounds of cooking butter, C. ; two cheeses for servants, C. ; basket of 
charcoal, C. ; twelve pounds of coffee, a larger quantity of tea not 
generally used; C ; four loaves of Egyptian sugar for servants, C. ; 
oranges, pomegranates, and apples, C. ; a moderate supply of fresh 
poultry and meat, as frequently the strong winds of autumn carry boats 
past the large towns, C. ; several papers of cress to sow in your empty 
boxes for salads. 



102 



DISEASES OF THE NILE. 



and sixpence, or two shillings each, early in the sea- 
son. Chickens, pigeons, vegetables, and bread for 
servants, are very cheap. One of the sailors gets 
milk every morning, if the traveller does not buy a 
goat, which costs thirty shillings. The beef is not 
eatable, but the mutton is generally very good. 
Sheep vary in price according to the demand. Often 
in Nubia very dear, but generally in Egypt half a 
fine sheep may be purchased for five or six shillings. 

It is very requisite to take out a medicine chest, 
and a plentiful supply of the medicines most useful 
for the principal diseases of the Nile — diarrhoea, dy- 
sentry, ophthalmia, and ague. It is prudent, before 
going to Egypt, to be vaccinated, as small-pox is often 
very prevalent in the villages. The reis of Baron 
Kothschild's boat was foolishly allowed to take his 
little son with him up the Nile, and, having caught 
that disease from the other children in the bazaars, 
was obliged to be put in quarantine in the small boat of 
the dahabeeah. The excellent Consul at Thebes, an 
old servant of mine, was always in the English boats, 
and was visited daily by travellers. Proud of his little 
son, he sent him to my boat to make my acquaint- 
ance. I afterwards heard he had, at that very time, 
a child lying dead in his house from that disease. An 
English gentleman, unfortunately, caught it. He 
got a steamer to take down to Cairo some of his 
party ; but his wife, who nursed him successfully 



PHYSICIANS. 



through his illness, caught the disease, and died at 
Cairo. 

Sometimes there are .many doctors making the tour 
of the Nile, and other winters few or none. Those, 
therefore, who do not take physicians with them 
must be prepared to doctor themselves, not only for 
the complaints which led them to Egypt, but also 
for the diseases which are common there. If people 
are determined to throw away their lives, the voyage 
up the Nile certainly affords facilities, but, with ordi- 
nary prudence, no country is more healthy, and few 
are the travellers who do not find their health greatly 
improved there. Doctor Paterson, at Cairo, is very 
clever and attentive. I give, in a note, his directions 
to travellers, and a list of medicines most useful in 
Egypt. They may all be got at Cairo, but are dearer 
there, and not so good as in England.* 

* Travellers should avoid, if possible, exposing themselves to the 
sun between eleven and three, and should not sit in draughts when 
the body is heated or perspiring. When clothes are damp from per- 
spiration, they should be changed, and the skin rubbed dry, or addi- 
tional clothing put on. Dysentery and ophthalmia are generally caused 
by neglect of these precautions. 

Diet. — Travellers should not eat too much fruit or vegetables, the 
latter to be thoroughly cooked ; an early dinner-hour recommended. 
Avoid sleeping in bed-rooms on the ground -floor, or in any place ex- 
posed to draughts of air. 

Diseases. — For head-aches, for biliousness from exposure to the 
sun, a gentle purgative, and bathing the head with cold water while 
the feet are kept in hot water, to which a teaspoonful of mustard may 
be added. If very severe, eight or ten leeches should be applied to 
the temples. For bilious attacks, attended with constipation, a blue 
pill at night and seidlitz powder in the morning. Habitual constipa- 



104 



LITTLE SOCIETY. 



It is not requisite to think only of bodily comforts ; 
though there may be a hundred boats up the river, 
you see very little of travellers, except at Philse or 
Thebes. All are thrown on their own resources — 
their gun, their pencil, or their books ; unless you 
devote your voyage to shooting, and stay where there 
are inland lakes— like a noble lord who, with the as- 

tion to be treated by occasional and gentle laxatives, such as simple 
rhubarb pills, and a free use of fruits, such as dried figs and stewed 
prunes. Diarrhoea may proceed from various causes — exposure to the 
sun, irregularities of diet, and from damp feet ; if the diarrhoea is 
traceable to indigestible articles of food, attended with griping pains 
at the stomach, give a small tablespoon of castor-oil and ten drops of 
laudanum, or three grains of Dover's powders. In simple diarrhoea, 
attended with yellow motions, give first a blue pill, and after three 
hours five grains of Dover's powders, which may be repeated, if need 
be, at the same interval. In diarrhoea with copious watery motions, 
give fifteen drops of diluted sulphuric acid, commonly known as elixir 
of vitriol, in a wine-glass of water every half hour, until four doses are 
taken. If this has no effect, give Dover's powders as above. This 
form of diarrhoea should not be allowed to go on any length of time 
without treatment, especially in delicate individuals and females. 
Dysentery may arise suddenly from the causes above mentioned, or 
neglecting any of the described diarrhoeas. It is to be distinguished 
from ordinary diarrhoea by the straining at the stool, or pain at the 
rectum, and, when further advanced, by the passing of mucus and blood. 
In such a case give first a blue pill ; after three hours give a table- 
spoon of the following mixture : — castor oil, two table-spoons ; whites 
of four eggs ; two wine-glasses of water to be added gradually, and 
beaten up with the above ; a little powdered gum arabic may be use- 
fully added to this mixture. This dose must be repeated every hour, 
or every two hours, according to the severity of the symptoms, until 
the motions become more natural, and the straining at the stool 
diminishes. In every case of looseness of the bowels, or dysentery, 
rice-water is the best drink, also toast and water, and the whites of a 
few eggs beaten up with water. After a severe attack of dysentery, 
a tonic is often necessary, a grain of quinine twice a day. 

Ague.— As soon after the sweating stage as the stomach will bear 



SHOOTING ON THE NILE. 



105 



sistance of a great gun, made for the purpose, killed, 
they said, last season, sixteen hundred ducks and 
geese — the shooting on the Nile is a disappointment 
to all. 

Photographic machines have superseded the pencil 

it, give a teaspoon of Gregory's powders, or some mild laxative ; 
when it has operated, give two grains of quinine every three hours, 
until four doses have been taken. Discontinue the pills for a few 
hours, until within an hour of the first paroxysm having appeared, 
then give another pill. Should the attack return before the pill is 
given, its administration must be deferred, as it is improper then to 
give the medicine. If this period passes over without return of par- 
oxysm, it will be well to give a few more of the pills at the same in- 
terval the next day, as the ague might be a third-day ague ; if this 
period passes over, then give a mild laxative to open the bowels. As 
a matter of precaution it might be well to give for two days one pill 
at the time corresponding to the first attack. A light diet should be 
observed. 

Ophthalmia begins by a slight redness and itching of the eye, and a 
feeling of grittiness, as if a grain of sand had got into the eye. The 
best simple remedies are constant spunging of the eye with tepid milk 
and water or tepid water, avoidance of light, wearing a shade, 
and dropping between the eyelids a few drops of a wash, containing 
from four to six grains of sulphur of zinc to a large tablespoon full of 
water ; a light purgative and low diet are necessary. (I have cured 
myself and others repeatedly by a mixture containing ten grains of 
zinc to an ounce of water, dropping or putting in with my finger suf- 
ficient to make the eye smart for a minute or two. G. H.) It may be 
requisite in very severe forms of this complaint for active treatment, 
such as the application of leeches and purging, and the use of a strong 
collyrium containing from five to eight grains of nitrate of silver 
(caustic) to the ounce of water ; but this, if possible, must be treated 
by a physician. 

List of Medicines to be taken up the Nile. — Rhubarb ; castor oil ; 
Epsom salts ; blue pills ; Dover's powders ; Gregory's powders ; 
dilute sulphuric acid ; quinine ; zinc ; nitrate of silver ; sulphurate of 
copper ; calomel ; ipecacuanha ; diaculum plaster ; laudanum ; a 
lancet, scales, and liquid measures ; leeches from Cairo. All medi- 
cines should be in bottles with glass tops. 



106 



BOOKS REQUISITE. 



in delineating the monuments, but beautiful water- 
colour sketches of the river scenery, and the magical 
effects of colouring, may be purchased from Mr. Wal- 
ton, a very clever young English artist, at Cairo. 
Sight-seeing, shooting, sitting all day on deck, sailing 
up the stream, or rowing down it, is fatiguing, even 
to the strong ; and interesting and amusing books 
are absolutely requisite. As guide-books, Wilkin- 
son's Hand-book and Ancient Egyptians, in six vol- 
umes, or the popular edition in two, will be sufficient. 
If Wilkinson's map is not published, Colonel Leake's 
is still the best. Those who wish to study hiero- 
glyphics, and understand something of the pictures 
they see on the walls, should take out Champollion's 
Grammar and Dictionary. 



107 



CHAPTEli VI. 

My First Voyage up theXile — Scenes on the River — Excavated Cham- 
bers — Pyramids of Sakkara and Dashoor — The Pasha's Yacht — ■ 
Mosk Attar e' Nebbee — Shoal of Arab Boats — Mokattam Range 
— Quarries of Masarah — Peasants Irrigating the Land — Pyra- 
mid of Lisht — Haram el Kedab, or the False Pyramid — Track- 
ing under a Hot Sun — Music and Singing of the Sailors — Beni- 
sooef — Village of Bibbeh — Appearance of the Natives — The 
Mountain of Sheakh Embarak — An Awkward Accident — Effects 
of a Gust of Wind — Sheakh Fodl — Gebel e Tayr — A Convent 
of Copts — Arrival at Minieh — Fertility of the Banks of the Mle 
—Egyptian Villages — Tower and Ruins of Kom Ahmar — The 
Tombs of Beni Hassan — Representations of Egyptian Life — In- 
juries caused by Thoughtless Travellers — View from the Tombs 
— Approach to the Temple of the Egyptian Diana — The Speos 
Artemidos — Beautiful Sculptures. 

My first voyage up the river was commenced the 
23rd February, 1832 ; the second, 1st November, 
1859 ; and the third, the 17th November, 1860. 

Early in November the sunsets are finer, otherwise 
the last date is quite soon enough. Several boats 
with English families started at the same time as I 
did, but my good dahabeeah, the Londra, arrived in 



108 



DELIGHTFUL YACHTING. 



twelve days at Thebes, two days before any of the 
others-, though I made several 'stoppages at Beni 
Hassan, Dendera, &c, and stayed a day to bake 
bread at Girgeh. In February I found we often ran 
aground on the islands, which causes unpleasant 
delays, but in the November voyages to Thebes this 
happened to us only once. In this month, and also 
in October, and even in December, there is generally 
a fine north breeze, which carries you up the then 
full and noble river most enjoyably. The current is 
strong, and you appear to sail quicker than you 
really do ; but when the wind is fresh, which very 
frequently happens, it is most delightful yachting. 
Before Christmas there are also not so many of those 
calms and southerly winds which, if they do not stop 
your progress entirely, oblige your sailors to land 
and drag the boat at the rate of about twenty miles 
a day. 

During my first voyage, commenced so late in the 
season, I was too anxious to get into Nubia, and 
during my other voyages too great an invalid to land 
at every place mentioned in the accurate hand-book 
as the site of ancient towns, where only slight, if any, 
remains of antiquity still exist. More opportunities 
are afforded for studying and enjoying Egyptian art 
in one ride at Thebes than in a score of such excursions, 
especially as the work of destruction has been going 
on at such a lamentable rate during the last thirty 



QUARRIES OF MASARAII. 



109 



years. I shall therefore merely notice the places best 
deserving of attention, and give some description of 
the scenery of the river, which has scarcely been 
done justice to. Those who are ambitious to be dis- 
coverers in this now exhausted field, or wish to amuse 
themselves with their guns, killing pigeons, turtle- 
doves, ducks, &c, have ample opportunities during 
the many calms they will have to endure. 

Starting with a favourable breeze, we passed vari- 
ous palaces, and two picturesque mosks, on our left ; 
and, on our right, the different groups of Pyramids, 
the acacias, sycamores, and sometimes palms, in the 
foreground were picturesque ; and the height of these 
trees formed a scale which gave us a more correct 
idea of their great size. On our left we passed the 
extensive quarries of Masarah, from which the stones 
of the Pyramids were taken, and which still show 
how the Egyptian masons cut their stone, and the 
causeway by which they were conveyed to the Nile. 
We lost sight of the Pyramids of Geezeh at a hiosk 
picturesquely situated close to the Nile, called Attar 
e' Nebbee, from an impression they pretend to possess 
of the Prophet's shoe. 

The country then suddenly becomes perfectly flat, 
the summit of the low Mokattam range being, for a 
short time only, occasionally visible. Our route was 
enlivened by a shoal of above fifty Arab boats, 
each with one lofty sail, often white and fresh, pic- 



110 



VIEWS OF THE PYRAMIDS. 



turesque on the water; but others might have been in 
battle, they were such rags and tatters. 

After passing the village and Convent of E Dayr, 
we came to a short break in the Mokattam range, 
which partakes a little of the grandeur of the wilder- 
ness. Two Arab villages, divided by small fields of 
doorah, form the foreground of the little desert of 
the Bahr-bela-me, or sea without water, and the 
bleak, yellow hill of Gebel e Jooshee, on the highest 
point of which is a round tower, part of the ruins of 
a castle. A single tree only was visible near the 
villages, which, in point of colour, resembled the hills. 
On our right we had villages, but, as usual, sur- 
rounded with groves of palm-trees. 

We observed many excavated chambers in this 
range, and as we approached the end of it the view 
to the north, of Cairo in the distance, the summits 
of the Pyramids of Geezeh just visible above the 
palms on our left, the Mokattam range, and a very 
pretty Arab village, with its mosks and groves of 
palms, was very picturesque. 

The groups of the Pyramids of Sakkara and I)a- 
shoor are interesting, situate in the wild and dreary 
desert, a striking contrast to the banks of the Nile, 
covered with verdant crops and groves of palm-trees, 
every grove hiding a village. 

At sunset we were becalmed, and stopped for the 



ARAB QUARRELS. 



Ill 



night. The next day, with a pleasant breeze, we 
continued our voyage. 

On the banks were numerous caravans of travellers 
and encampments of soldiers, and the river was en- 
livened by many steam-boats crowded with negro regi- 
ments dressed in white, who looked very picturesque. 
Their teeth, which they were continually displaying, 
as white as their clothes. We passed the Pasha's 
yacht, with the Pasha himself on board, eyeing us 
with a telescope. His yacht appeared to consist en- 
tirely of cabins, having seventeen large windows on 
each side. 

The banks were unusually animated to-day. Be- 
sides the usual groups of naked peasants, with only a 
slight covering around their waists, irrigating the 
land with the shadoof — the pole with a weight at one 
end and a bucket at the other — and oxen ploughing 
the fields, there was, for nearly a mile, a continuous 
line of the Arab boats I mentioned yesterday now be- 
calmed. Our men had great difficulty in tracking us 
past them, especially some laden with hay. My 
generally very quiet reis sat at the head of the boat, 
and kept up a constant barufa (quarrel) with them. 
The Arabs delight in a row, but, fortunately, it is all 
talk, and does not end in blows. 

The eastern bank was flat in the extreme. A nar- 
row strip of cultivated land, with a considerable 
breadth of desert, was bounded by the low monotonous 



112 



THE FALSE PYRAMID. 



line of the Ouchy range, a continuation of the Mokat- 
tam hills. 

Towards evening, as we arrived at Kafr el Iyat 
we saw the two Pyramids of Lisht, very much ruined, 
and not worth visiting. Another dawn brought a 
southerly breeze, which is worse than a calm ; but in 
a few hours we were opposite the Harem el Kedab, 
or the False Pyramid, so named from its being con- 
structed on a conical rock, which makes it appear 
far more lofty than it otherwise would. It is built 
in four stages, the lowest very high, and apparently 
almost perpendicular. A considerable portion of the 
summit is destroyed, otherwise if it ended in a 
point, it would be still more imposing than it is even 
now, towering far above three lofty palms on the cul- 
tivated ground miles from it, as if to give us an idea 
of its height. From our boat scarcely the slightest 
hillock is to be seen for some distance around the 
Pyramid. On our left we had still the range of 
Ouchy or Mokattam hills, monotonous in the ex- 
treme, and only relieved by the verdant banks and 
groves of palm-trees. 

In the afternoon we had a slight but favourable 
breeze, which was a great relief, as it is tiresome 
work tracking, and hard work for the sailors under a 
hot sun. They enjoyed the respite, and amused 
themselves in singing to their darabooka,* and 

* A drum consisting of a parchment strained over an earthen- 
ware cone. 



ARAB MUSrC. 



1 1 3 



tambourine, the timbrel of Miriam, an instrument 
very like what the Egyptian Venus, Athor, is some- 
times represented holding in her hand. Their music, 
if they are not allowed to sing too loud, and one has 
not too much of it, and if it were not that the man 
who sings the solo parts has generally a cracked 
voice, is not displeasing. Their airs are, however, 
sometimes monotonous, and their choruses very like 
groans of disapprobation. Ten voices, often fine, 
singing plaintive airs in a minor key, have gene- 
rally a very pleasing effect; but before the Nile 
voyage is over travellers get rather tired of it, as the 
men pretend they cannot row without singing. I 
never allowed it for more than half an hour occasion- 
ally, a slight backsheesh making ample amends to the 
sailors for what is really a great enjoyment to them. 
One of our crew is a buffoon, with a most extraor- 
dinary voice, and would have made an admirable 
pulcinella. He imitates different animals, and often, 
to the great delight of his companions, draws out our 
cat from her usual hiding-place. 

In the evening we came to Benisooef, where is now 
a vast military encampment. The crowds of soldiers 
and peasants made insufferable dust. The Pasha had 
lately there a camp of 3,000 men, and his palace and 
Governor's house are handsome buildings. 

Benisooef is the capital of the province, and has a 
bazaar of about one hundred shops, cotton and silk 

I 



114 



BENISOOEF. 



manufactories, and mosks with minarets, announcing, 
as we approached, a more considerable town, the 
mosks of the villages on the Nile having rarely mina- 
rets. 

The houses of the peasants on the Nile are often 
shared with their pigeons, the peasants living below 
and their pigeons above, giving to the tawny-coloured 
mud-huts a much more picturesque appearance. 

At the village of Bibbeh a long chimney exhibits 
an attempt of the son-in-law of Abbas Pasha to irri- 
gate the land in a more successful way than by the 
shadoof and sakkeea, or water-wheel. 

About a dozen boats were moored to a bank, a 
small portion of which was formed of stones which 
might be Eoman work, but from the smallness of the 
stones I think they are of a later date. Besides the 
crowds of Turks and Arabs in the boats, half the 
population of the place appeared to be on the quay. 
Among them were women in their blue gowns, or 
melayehs, not so careful of hiding their faces as they 
generally are, and children tolerably dressed, though 
a few were naked, as in former times. There were 
some fine-looking men. One, in a white dress and 
skull-cap, with his cloak flung picturesquely over his 
shoulder,* leaning on his long staff, was a perfect study 
for an artist. Then there were many men with span- 
new blue melayehs, red tarboushes, and white turbans, 
showing that the world was prosperous with them. 



A SCENE ON THE BANK. 



115 



The water-carriers filling their skins on the banks 
were almost the only men very poor in their appear- 
ance. 

Far more attractive were the girls, with legs and arms 
of a beautiful form, and almost fair in colour, compared 
with the sun-burned men, filling their large jars with 
water, and gracefully poising them on their heads, and 
walking without even supporting them with their 
hands, as only Egyptian women can walk. Then 
there was every variety of animals — dogs, goats, 
and poultry — in great numbers ; buffaloes in the 
water, horses, cows, and camels, and such a noise as 
ten times the number of people would not have made 
in sober Europe, especially here and there where 
the buying and selling had produced the usual quar- 
rel. The country on the eastern bank was uninterest- 
ing, a very low range of flat hills visible in the 
distance. 

Next morning, tracking, and having occasionally a 
favourable breeze, we arrived at Pashet, which, 
though not visible, must be a considerable village, 
as we counted seventeen boats moored at the bank. 
Opposite is a range of hills, the first we have seen, 
rising almost perpendicularly from the river, not 
picturesque, but relieving a little the monotony of 
our route, which was still further relieved by a lively 
breeze, and the river soon became animated with 
numerous boats. 

i 2 



116 



DANGEROUS GUSTS OF WIND. 



The lofty table-mountain of Sheakh Embarek ap- 
peared to stop our progress, but in two hours we 
reached it. Its broken surface, and one bold cliff, 
resembling a ruined castle, combined with a grove of 
palms in the distance, and the domed tomb of the 
Sheakh, have a picturesque appearance, especially as 
the views immediately before reaching this range and 
afterwards are monotonous in the extreme. 

On my first voyage up the Nile an awkward accident 
happened to me near here. My sailors were track- 
ing against a very strong wind, when the rope broke, 
and, with only two men on board, we were carried 
rapidly down the stream. The wind was off the 
only bank we could safely land on, and made it very 
difficult for us to run the boat ashore. 

The Sheakh to-day sent us such a gust of wind 
that it upset my table, bore away, irrecoverably, the 
large umbrella I used for shade, and carried me, re- 
clining on an invalid-chair with castors, to the very 
margin of my boat, which was very nearly upset from 
the slowness and clumsiness of the man in letting go 
the great sail. My reis has not got his ballast on 
board, for nothing will persuade these men to give 
good money at Cairo for stones they can get for no- 
thing up the river. If we gave them the money, and 
did not see that the ballast was absolutely bought at 
Cairo, they would pocket the cash, make their salaam, 



CONVENT ON GEBEL E TAYR. 



117 



say most respectfully, " Hadr," and get it in some 
night we were asleep. 

Continuing our monotonous voyage, we came to 
Sheakh Fodl, a low range of limestone bills, with a 
narrow strip of cultivated land below them. The 
long chain of mountains of Gebel e Tayr is more in- 
teresting, some of them rising perpendicularly from 
the river, screened by a verdant veil of palm-trees ; 
and on the west bank is a promontory covered with 
fine acacias. This is considered one of the most dan- 
gerous parts of the river, the gusts of wind from the 
gorges of the rocks often upsetting the boats. 

On the summit is the convent of Copts, called 
Sitteh Mariam el Adra — The Lady Mary, the Virgin, 
generally called Deyr el Adra. The monks generally 
swim to the boats on inflated water-skins to beg, but 
the wind being strong we were saved from their im- 
portunities. They wanted us to come to land, but 
we were not so charitably disposed as to stop our 
course. There is an old legend that the birds of 
Egypt make an annual pilgrimage to this mountain, 
and, when they quit it, leave one of their flock to 
guard it until the following year. 

We soon after arrived at Minieh, one of the 
prettiest as well as most considerable towns on the 
Mle. The bazaar is wide and airy, and there are 
some handsome buildings — the Governor's house, 
cotton manufactories, mosks, and baths. The 



118 



BIRDS AND PRODUCE. 



country around is rich and beautiful, presenting the 
characteristic scenery of the Nile — flat ridges of 
rocks without verdure, and on the banks of the river 
groves of palm-trees. The sportsman and the strong 
may almost rejoice when calms and southerly breezes 
enable them to ramble on the banks, and enjoy very 
good shooting of pigeons, turtle-doves, and quails,, 
which are so abundant the sportsman may fill his 
bag almost anywhere in an hour or two. 

There are also storks, pelicans, geese, ducks, spoon- 
bills, flamingoes, shags, cranes, wagtails, larks, 
sparrows ; and, higher up the river, above Manfaloot, 
the crocodile, very difficult to get a shot at, and still 
more difficult to kill (though on my first voyage up 
the Nile I shot one). 

The rich crops and verdure of the Nile are a glo- 
rious sight. Besides the wheat, which pays the 
peasant's rent and taxes, and the doorah, or Indian 
corn, on which they and their families chiefly depend 
for their food, the banks of the Nile appear to be 
capable to produce everything, though the plants of 
the Nile have little beauty of blossom, and are almost 
destitute of odour. The variety is, however, extra- 
ordinary in a country where so little capital, intellect, 
and energy are employed in their cultivation. Among 
other produce may be seen cotton, which may be pro- 
duced in any quantity, indigo, rice, sugar, tobacco, 
clover, maize, castor oil, mallows, coriander, sesame, 



IMMENSE INCREASE OF COTTON. 



119 



tomatoes, vegetable marrow, gourds, melons, beans, 
French beans, cauliflowers, cabbages, lettuces, chuck 
peas, lupines, lentils, onions, leeks, coleseed, carrots, 
&c, &c. 

Since my visit, the war in America has given an 
immense impulse to the cultivation of cotton. The 
quality is excellent, and the price now is four times 
as high as it was in the time of Mohammed Ali. It 
is said that the exports of cotton this year will amount 
to eight millions sterling. If the war continues, 
there is every probability that a great part of the 
valley of the Nile, so admirably adapted for the pur- 
pose, will be turned into a cotton field, and supplies 
of grain obtained from other countries. I trust the 
poor cultivators will have their fair share of this 
greatly increased source of wealth ; but unfortu- 
nately the peasants are generally ignorant, necessitous, 
and, it must be confessed, too often improvident, and 
there are persons who frequently purchase their grow- 
ing crops at half their value. 

What a country Egypt might become, not so much 
by new methods of irrigation and cultivation, but 
simply by carrying out more thoroughly the present 
system ! Nubia produces senna ; but little can be 
done there, the strip of land is now generally so 
narrow. The heat of that country checks the growth 
and withers herbaceous plants during six months of 
the year, The villages in this rich country are but 



120 



DESTRUCTIVE INUNDATION. 



a collection of miserable mud huts. Near the Nile 
the outside ones are often joined together, forming a 
wall nine to ten fe'et high, to protect them from 
being carried away by that mighty river, which, as 
we have seen in 1852, is not always a blessing, but 
sometimes causes the ruin and destruction of immense 
districts. 

Next day we coasted under a low range of hills, 
fringed with a narrow strip of cultivated land planted 
with palm-trees, at the extremity of which Kom 
Ahmar is very picturesque, with its tower and ruins. 
In the rocks are many excavated tombs, formerly in- 
teresting, but now, they say, sadly destroyed. 

We soon afterwards reached Beni-Hassan. It is 
prudent to take advantage of every northerly breeze 
and hasten to the south, especially for invalids 
in the autumn, as the nights are then always damp 
until they arrive at Esneh. There and above that 
place the nights are generally as dry as the days. 
The antiquities can be seen on returning, when the 
oars and the current make travellers more indepen- 
dent of the wind. Two exceptions should be made 
to this rule — Thebes and the tombs of Beni-Hassan, 
which should both be seen twice. It is in the sepul- 
chres that we see an epitome of ancient Egyptian life 
— there are displayed their knowledge, their tastes, 
their pursuits, their habits, their pleasures. Else- 
where the tombs are often, from their closeness and 



TOMBS OF BENI-HASSAN. 121 

ruined state, unpleasant to visit ; but these tombs of 
Beni-Hassan are open to the Nile breezes, and no 
drawback of any kind diminishes the pleasure of the 
excursion. 

Then it must not be forgotten that these tombs 
are far more ancient than any antiquities further up 
the river — that some of them bear the name of 
Osirtasen I. ; who is supposed to have reigned above 
2000 years B.C. — and as Wilkinson very correctly 
states, many of them are obviously in their architec- 
ture imitations of then existing buildings. From the 
perfection of the architecture and the excellent exe- 
cution, though not the best, of some of the tombs 
and paintings, art was obviously then very far from 
being in its infancy ; and we cannot, without wonder 
as well as pleasure, study these very early pages of 
the history of the civilization of the world. They do 
not, as in other tombs and temples, give us represen- 
tations of the theocracy and mysterious rites which 
the learned can scarcely yet understand. All that 
time has spared here is interesting in the extreme, for 
it is a picture of the Egyptian people and their Go- 
vernors. 

From the state of the Nile we were enabled to land 
opposite the village of Beni-Hassan, from whence 
donkeys can be procured (though it is only a mile's 
walk), to visit these celebrated tombs. They are ex- 
cavated in the rock, and nearly all on the same level, 



122 



ELEGANT COLUMNS. 



and very conspicuous from the river and the plain. 
Beginning my description from the south end, there 
is a group of tombs without sculpture, the second 
tomb, connected by a doorway with the first, has an 
arch -shaped portico, decorated with two polygonal 
columns. The tomb was also to have been decorated 
with two columns with circular bases. 

Passing two or three others we came to what I 
will call the third of the principal group, which con- 
tains an injured figure and pit for mummies. In the 
fourth tomb are figures wrestling — an ox, gazelles, a 
sportsman, and a long tablet of hieroglyphics before 
the owner of the tomb. The fifth tomb contains no 
paintings, but the architecture is good. Two injured 
but elegant columns, formed, as it were, of four light 
stems of trees bound together, with lotus-bud shaped 
capitals, support a graceful pediment. 

In the sixth the paintings are not distinguishable, 
but it contains pits for mummies. The eighth and 
ninth tombs are not worth entering. In the tenth 
a pretty ornament of the blue and crimson lotus 
flower and some offerings are remaining. In the 
eleventh nothing. In the twelfth are a few figures 
drawing a shrine, and others presenting offerings of 
geese, &c. The great man to whom the tomb be- 
longed may be traced. Fragments of columns still 
adhering to the roof show how this tomb had formerly 
been decorated. 



THE WRESTLER'S TOMB. 



123 



Then, after passing two very small tombs, we came 
to the fifteenth, which is very remarkable for its 
architecture. It was decorated with three rows of 
three columns each, with lotus-bud capitals support- 
ing pediments, and one extra column at the right 
side. These are without the binding usually round 
the shafts of these columns, except the four sculptured 
ones beneath the capitals. The sixteenth, called the 
wrestler's tomb, from the principal subject in it, was 
decorated with six columns, of which two only remain. 
On one of the shafts two of the green bands may be 
seen. In the right-hand corner are agricultural 
scenes and boats. 

The granaries, with arched roofs and windows, are 
curious, and there are white cattle with black spots, 
droves of other cattle, now much injured, and 
offerings of fish, fruit, and flowers to the great man 
of the tomb. On the east side are wrestlers in every 
possible attitude, and a long inscription in hierogly- 
phics. On the north side are represented trades — 
glass-blowers, goldsmiths blowing the fire for melting 
the gold, weighing, washing it, and preparing it for 
the jewellers, who are making ornaments near the 
men blowing the furnace ; but this interesting sub- 
ject is now so much injured that it is difficult to 
make it out. There are also hunting scenes and 
various animals. Over a group of gazelles are birds 
in a tree, and there are white deer with brown spots, 



124 



EGYPTIAN GYMNASTICS. 



a man with two dogs in a leash ; sportsmen killing 
wild oxen with bows and arrows, catching the wild 
ox with the lasso, and gazelles with the noose. The 
lord of the tomb is seated with his wife nnder a canopy. 
Another sportsman is killing deer ; and there is a 
long thin net, with gazelles caught in it. An inte- 
resting group represents women jumping, tumbling, 
dancing, and exhibiting their agility in throwing 
their bodies into most extraordinary attitudes ; others 
playing at ball, throwing up sometimes three in suc- 
cession, and one group is playing the game mounted 
on the backs of others ; then there are men dancing 
on one leg, making Egyptian pirouettes and other 
feats of gymnastics. 

The subject of the representation and the names of 
animals and birds are inscribed in hieroglyphics to 
help dull minds, as the man in Shakespeare's interlude 
of " Pyramis and Thisbe," says, " I am wall.' 7 Then 
there are carpenters sawing, upholsterers veneering 
and making furniture ; potters and other trades, very 
much defaced. On the west side are agricultural 
scenes, and representations of the papyrus plant. 
Over a little door on the south side is a man re- 
ceiving the bastinado. The punishment of the basti- 
nado as regards the men is not very different from 
what may now be seen when the Katschef or Turkish 
revenue officer collects his payments, and the village 
sheakhs are only too glad if they can escape the pay- 



THE BASTINADO. 



125 



ment of a portion by a punishment which, under such 
circumstances, is rather an honour than a disgrace to 
them. The old Egyptian sufferer is represented lying 
on his belly, one man holding his two feet and 
another each arm, whilst the executioner, holding with 
his two hands a stick from two to three feet long 
(relatively to his own height), is on the point of 
striking his seat. A woman is represented seated on 
her heels, an oriental fashion still common in the 
East and Spain — with one hand to her breast, whilst 
a similar executioner is giving her blows on her back. 

The seventeenth tomb contains nothing. The 
eighteenth had been decorated with two columns, of 
which fragments only remain. Here also are men re- 
ceiving the bastinado, various trades on the east side, 
and interesting wrestling. On the north side are 
women playing at ball, and various trades and hunt- 
ing scenes. The nineteenth again contains nothing. 
The twentieth, a small tomb, has hieroglyphics round 
the door. We then passed several little tombs of no 
interest to the northern group. Some of these, how- 
ever, have porticoes decorated with two columns, the 
shafts and capitals of which are obviously the origin 
of the Doric column, and the friezes also are in the 
Doric style. 

The twenty-first tomb has a beautiful portico of 
this description, and the door is ornamented with 
well-executed hieroglyphics. This leads into a tomb 



126 



INTERESTING PROCESSION. 



which had once been decorated with four columns. 
The roof is slightly arched in its form. The great 
man with his assistants is amusing himself with the 
chase. On the east side in his boat he is netting 
wild fowl, chiefly geese. The Nile is represented by 
waving lines, with fish and hippopotami in it. There 
is a long hieroglyphic inscription all round this sepul- 
chre. Under two rows of animals on the north side 
is the presentation of thirty-seven strangers of a race 
called Mes-stem to Nefotph, the owner of the tomb, 
once believed to be Joseph's brethren, now so injured 
as to be scarcely recognised ; but with attention 
their Asiatic costumes, light-yellow complexions, 
peculiar features, and beards, may be distinguished. 
The scribe presents the people to the owner of the 
tomb, a great officer of the King, Osirtasen II., 
probably, as Bunsen says, the great warrior hero of 
the old empire, the Sesostris of the Greeks. Two of 
the strangers present their offerings of a wild goat 
and a gazelle. These are followed by four men 
armed either with bows, clubs, or spears ; then follow 
two men, one with a spear, the other with a club, 
their two children apparently very comfortably packed 
in a gaily-decorated pannier, their heads only visible; 
then a boy with a spear. Four women in long 
dresses follow, and after them a donkey with its head 
stooping as though weary with its load, which seems, 
however, very light. A man with a seven-stringed 



ANTIQUITY OF THE TOMBS. 



127 



lyre with the plectrum follows, as the ancient Egyp- 
tian travellers could not do without music no more 
than the Arab boatmen their tom-tom, or the Spaniards 
their guitar ; and afterwards a sportsman, with his 
bow, arrow, quiver, and a club. The men have 
sandals, the women boots, quite modern in appear- 
ance. The cattle in the lowest row are beautifully 
drawn. 

Under this group the nomen and prenomen of 
King Osirtasen, who reigned about two thousand 
years before the Christian era, may be seen in the in- 
scription of hieroglyphics which surrounds the sepul- 
chre. 

The twenty-second tomb contains hunting scenes, 
sportsmen with their bows, a long line of gazelles, 
some as if with one horn ; a lion, which in those days 
often accompanied the sportsmen, is putting his paw 
on one. Below these subjects are droves of cattle 
and men catching the wild ox with the lasso, agricul- 
tural scenes, and trades, much injured ; a better and 
clearer representation than the one before mentioned 
will be seen of goldsmiths at work, blowing their fire, 
making a variety of vases, and weighing them. On 
the east side are interesting boats, one carrying the 
mummy of the deceased, and wrestlers. 

In the little sanctuary on this side are traces of 
three sculptured figures. On the west side are agri- 
cultural subjects, potters, ropemakers, women playing 



128 



ELEGANT ARCHITECTURE. 



on harps, and fishing scenes. On the south side are 
representations of rich gifts to the lord and lady of 
the tomb. The portico of this sepulchre resembles 
the last I have described ; and the tomb was also de- 
corated with what I may call the origin of the Doric 
columns, resting on circular bases. This roof also 
was beautifully arched in form, and still retains its 
decorations. The elegant simplicity of the architec- 
ture, and the rich effect of its pictorial decorations, 
must excite the admiration of everyone who cares for 
art. 

It is impossible to estimate too highly these earliest 
and most certain pages of the history of the civiliza- 
tion of the world. There is not a tomb or picture 
here that is not worth far more than a score of fanciful 
and inaccurate passages in ancient writers, who obvi- 
ously knew little about Egypt. The attempt to 
reconcile their descriptions may afford good opportu- 
nities to the learned to display their ingenuity ; but 
so much that is positive and undeniable as to ancient 
Egypt has now been discovered, that most people will 
cling to the monuments as the only safe guides to 
truth, trusting that the time will come when further 
discoveries, especially of papyri, will clear away many 
of the clouds which still darken Egyptian research. 

The view from these tombs is impressive. The 
Nile, covering like a lake miles and miles of country, 
or when low in the spring, appears but a narrow 



DESTRUCTION OF THE PAINTINGS. 



129 



stream compared with the wide and verdant plains 
beyond, planted with groves of palms. 

I cannot conclude my remarks on these interesting 
tombs without expressing my regret at the great 
changes which have taken place in only thirty years. 
What had existed for centuries before are now often 
scarcely distinguishable. No doubt the practice of 
travellers taking impressions on moistened paper 
has been the cause of the destruction of the most in- 
teresting paintings in the valley of the Nile. What 
Turks and Arabs had spared, civilised men have done 
their best to destroy ; and where they have not de- 
stroyed, they have deadened colours once the most 
brilliant. 

As we came down the river Ave moored near the 
village of Beni-Hassan, where we procured donkeys, 
and in a quarter of an hour we came to a beautiful bit 
of desert, bounded by a bold broken chain of rocks, 
in which were numerous valleys. The Sheakh's tomb, 
and the groves of palms on its margin, formed a vivid 
contrast of colour to our light-yellow pebbly route 
over the sand, and the rather darker-tinted hills— a 
charming approach to the Temple of the Diana of the 
Egyptians. 

Ten minutes' ride, still east, brought us to the en- 
trance of one of the valleys I have mentioned, on the 
south side of which were about a dozen slight exca- 
vations, and four on the north side. Immediately 

K 



130 



THE SPEOS ARTEMIDOS. 



on entering the valley we visited one containing slight 
remains of decorations. About a hundred paces fur- 
ther, passing numerous excavations, some with frag- 
ments of Egyptian cornices, we came to an excava- 
tion with the cornice uninjured, and sculpture re- 
presenting King Alexander, son of Alexander the 
Great, making an offering of an image of the Goddess 
of Truth to the Goddess Diana (Pasht), with, as usual, 
the head of a lioness. In the centre of the cornice 
is the winged globe and serpents. The interior of 
this excavation is much injured. 

Two minutes' further walk, passing a portion of the 
rock, which has evidently been cut, brought us to 
the Speos Artemidos. The first chamber is an open 
portico, which was divided by two rows of pillars, the 
front row only remaining. The portico was never 
finished, but on the south side there is some beau- 
tiful sculpture in the best style of Egyptian art, and 
still retaining, especially the hieroglyphics, much of 
their colouring, representing on the west side King 
Osirei making offerings of incense and ointment to 
Diana (Pasht) seated on her throne. In the next 
picture is Pasht standing (her head defaced) and the 
god Thoth is addressing the king. On the east side 
of the doorway, leading into the interior, the sculp- 
ture is more injured ; but King Osirei, whose preno- 
men can just be made out, is represented on his knees 
before Amun Ea, and behind him is Pasht, and a 



ARAB THIEVES. 



131 



tablet of hieroglyphics, in which the name of Thoth- 
mes will be seen. In the corner of this tablet are 
twelve divinities seated, each holding the cross of life 
— very much defaced now, but some of the names 
may be read : Mandoo, Atmoo, Tafne, in the first 
row; Isis, Neith, and Seb, in the second; and Athor, 
Horus, and Nephthys, in the third. The hierogly- 
phics being so well executed, and retaining their 
colour, make these pictures very interesting. 

The portico leads, by a deep doorway, ornamented 
with a long tablet of hieroglyphics and sculpture, re- 
presenting on each side the king making offerings to 
Pasht, into the naos, which was never finished ; but 
close under the roof is a niche, ornamented with the 
Egyptian cornice, and some hieroglyphics, bearing 
the name of Osirei ; and on one side of the doorway 
is a representation of Pasht, standing with the crux 
ansata. Few excursions on the Nile are more agree- 
able than the visit to this interesting little temple of 
the Diana of the Egyptians. 

A quarter of an hour after we left the Speos we 
came to the ruins of the old village of Beni-Hassan, 
which, being a nest of thieves, was destroyed by 
Mohammed Ali, rather an Oriental way of purifying 
the moral atmosphere of a rural district. As the 
peasants escaped he did not eradicate the disease, the 
people of this neighbourhood having still a bad repu- 
tation. 

k 2 



132 RIDE TO BENI-HASSAN. 

In half an hour from there, with the assistance 
of the men pushing my donkey, I was able to ride 
up to the Grottoes of Beni-Hassan. 



133 



CHAPTER VII. 

Roda — The "Mounds of Slieakh Abaydeh — Tombs of the Saints — 
The Minaret of Melawe — The Mountain of El Bersheh — Appear- 
ance of the Country — Sugar Manufactory — Groups of Grottoes 
— The Six Minarets of Manfaloot — Crocodile Pits — The Town 
of Sioot — The Bazaar— Visit to the Baths — Cemetery of Lyco- 
polis — The Stabl Antar — John of Lycopolis — Progress of Sioot 
— Strange Incident — Burning of a Boat — Egyptian Women — 
Range of Yellow Hills — Gebel Sheakh Hereedee — Village of E' 
Raaineh — Egyptian Superstition — An Englishman attacked by 
the Peasantry — Tombs in the Rocks — Continuation of Mountain 
Range — Akhmim — Remains of the Ancient City of Panopolis — 
Excavations — Mensheeh — Splendid Crops of Doorah — Picturesque 
Groups of Villagers — Girgeh — Destructive Effect of the Inunda- 
tions of the Nile — Ramble in the Bazaars. 

We left Beni-Hassan, and, passing Sheakh Timay, 
came to Roda, and its neat-looking sugar manufactory, 
with its five chimneys. Nearly opposite is Sheakh 
Abaydeh (Antinoe). We saw its mounds from our 
boat, but, as the wind was favourable, we credited 
the hand-book that there is little now worth seeing 
there. 

I visited these mounds on my first voyage up the 
Nile, and certainly the extent of them — according to 



134 



saints' tombs. 



the hand-book, six thousand feet by three thousand 
four hundred feet — is very imposing ; and although 
every fragment of the limestone remains may now be 
taken for lime and buildings, the remains of granite 
columns, and the lines of the principal streets and 
traces of the form of the theatre and other edifices, 
must still make them worth seeing. They have also 
the charms of association, being the remains of a 
splendid city, erected by Adrian in favour of his 
favourite Antinous, who drowned himself in the Nile 
to secure the happiness of the emperor, an oracle hav- 
ing declared that could only be secured by the sacri- 
fice of what was most dear to him. 

Soon we passed, on the west bank, a sugar manu- 
factory, and, immediately afterwards, Reramoon, a 
neater Arab village than usual, divided by a splendid 
sycamore tree. 

Nearly opposite is E' Dayr e' Nakhl, a village in- 
habited by Copts, but no cleaner than those of the 
Mohammedans. There, they say, is a large convent. 
On the same side of the river is a bold range of rocks, 
like a huge wall, called Sheakh Said. 

Soon afterwards the fine rock of Sheakh Said 
rises almost perpendicularly from the river, and at 
the foot of it is a grove of acacias and the tomb of 
the saint. All these mountains may be considered 
the same eastern, or Arabic, chain, but they receive 
these different names from the little white-washed, 



SCENE ON THE RIVER. 



135 



square-domed tomb of the Sheakh, or saint, gene- 
rally a harmless, unfortunate lunatic, treated for 
his very defects always with kindness, often with 
reverence when alive, and honoured as a saint when 
dead. To erect such a tomb, or spend money in 
keeping it in order, is one of the most meritorious 
acts a Mussulman can perform, and there are few 
who have not implicit faith in their efficacy to inter- 
cede for them and heal, or avert, the ills of life. 

There are tombs of these saints near all the dan- 
gerous passes of the Nile, to whom the sailors, though 
not always the most devout Mohammedans, frequently 
pray for a safe passage. 

If a pleasant breeze often prevents our visiting in- 
teresting places, the pleasure it affords would almost 
compensate the most zealous antiquaries. More 
agreeable yachting cannot be imagined. No sea-sick- 
ness, no danger — ladies may enjoy it as well as men. 
The ranges of the Sheakh Said hills are bolder and 
more picturesque as they approach the river, but 
when there are no fine rocks, there are always the 
rich and ever verdant banks, with their villages 
and groves of palms, and the now noble and wide 
river, with often a score of boats visible, with their 
picturesque white sails, sometimes with one large 
sail, and often with two crossing each other like 
swans with both wings extended. Then there are 
boats floating down the river, frequently with the 



136 



TEL EL AMARNA. 



crew asleep, or certainly not visible — trusting to 
Providence to take care of them. 

Travellers often complain that, when the northerly 
wind prevails, they get no exercise, and find it 
difficult even when they are tracking. Sometimes 
the banks are too muddy, sometimes too rocky, and 
sometimes too steep and friable, to climb, there being 
no slight danger of the rich earth coming down in a 
mass if you attempt to climb it, or venture in some 
places too near the edge. I take my exercise, morn- 
ing and evening, on my lower deck, having a space 
of thirty feet between my cabin and the kitchen, tak- 
ing care to have it well washed to free it from fleas, 
and, perhaps, something worse. 

We passed, on the west, the beautiful looking mi- 
narets of Melawe, a bender, or town, with a very ex- 
tensive tract of rich land between it and the river. 
Soon, on the east side, the cultivated land is not, in 
some parts, above one hundred yards wide, but is 
covered with rich crops of doorah and groves of palms, 
above which rises the bold mountain of El Bersheh, 
in which are about eighty excavated tombs. After- 
wards there is no cultivated land on that side, the 
mountain rising boldly from the river ; and above a 
line of excavations is the Sheakh's tomb, wildly and 
picturesquely situated. . 

Unfortunately we allowed the breeze to carry us 
past the tombs of Tel el Amarna, which I have never 



GEBEL ABOOFAYDA. 



137 



seen, and on my return not a donkey was to be got, 
and the walk there, two or three miles, was too mnch 
for an invalid. 

At Gerf Hassan there is a new-looking sugar manu- 
factory, built by a son of Abbas Pasha, another proof 
that the reigning dynasty has done much for Egypt. 
The desert on the eastern bank reaches to the Nile, 
and in the distance are the uninteresting hills of 
Gebel Howarte. 

The country was flat until we approached El Kos- 
sayr, where we had, on our left, Gebel Aboofayda, a 
lofty perpendicular range, not quite so level on their 
summit. In about two hours the rocks became bolder 
and more picturesque, rising quite perpendicularly 
from the river. 

We sailed, with a stiff breeze, through a narrow pas- 
sage almost close under them, four of the men attend- 
ing to our sail ; and well they might in such a dange- 
rous gusty place, and no ballast yet in our vessel. The 
danger did not, however, prevent them taking their 
usual cup of coffee. Last year my reis refused to 
pass these rocks with a very strong wind ; and he was 
right, for if we had not, when one great gust caught us, 
let go the sail quickly, our boat would have been upset. 
Before the channel widens, under a magnificent rock 
there are extensive quarries, and in a kind of dyke, 
or break of the chain of rocks, are the mud ruins of 
walls and arches — a strange wild site for a town. 



138 



CROCODILE FITS OF MANFALOOT. 



Shortly afterwards we passed grottoes, which do not 
appear to have been tombs, and saw quantities of 
wild-fowl. 

As we were leaving the range we saw, in one 
group, about forty grottoes, which appear to have 
been tombs ; and, at a short distance, another group, 
equally numerous. 

The river took a sudden bend as we came in sight 
of the six minarets of Manfaloot. This is also a 
bender, or one of the large towns of the Nile, cele- 
brated for the crocodile pits, about sixteen miles dis- 
tant, but only three from Shalagleel, a village further 
south. Mr. Leigh's attempt to discover them, causing 
the death of two of their three guides, from the heat 
and bad air, will be familiar to all acquainted with 
the literature of the Nile. The access to them is now 
well known, and though difficult and unpleasant from 
the heat and smell, is not dangerous. It is con- 
sidered, by the young traveller on the Nile, as one of 
the undertakings that must be accomplished, and 
though the large chamber, filled with the mummies of 
crocodiles of all sizes, must be an extraordinary and 
awful sight, I should doubt whether any one would 
consider the visit worth the inconvenience. 

Though the town of Manfaloot consists entirely of 
mud buildings, without any relief of colour, except 
what is afforded by three or four houses, and the 
minarets of its mosks, it is, however, very impos- 



SIOOT THE CAPITAL OF UPPER EGYPT. 



139 



ing, from its great extent along the margin of the 
river. The palm-trees mingled with the buildings, 
and the numerous vessels moored at the banks, 
break the monotony of its outline. 

The next day, passing Howarte, a village on the 
right, with a pretty minaret, we came to Sioot, the 
ancient Lycopolis, or city of the wolves, still retaining 
its ancient Egyptian name, and now the capital of the 
Saeed, or Upper Egypt — one of the few towns on the 
Nile worth visiting. Twenty minutes' ride over a 
raised causeway, shaded in some parts by acacias per- 
fuming the air, and very requisite when the Nile 
waters cover the plain instead of the present luxurious 
crops of wheat, brought us to a handsome gate and 
the enclosure of the Pasha's palace. 

The town, which looks very large for its population, 
of only 25,000, is picturesque in the distance, from 
the number of mosks with generally elegant minarets; 
for though some of the latter are too much of the 
tallow-candle shape, many of them almost rival those 
of the Cairo mosks, in the richness of their machicola- 
tions. 

The chief bazaar is a very long one, and covered, to 
protect it from the sun, with openings only in the roof 
to admit light and air. It cannot be compared to 
the Cairo bazaars, not being enriched like them with 
beautiful bits of architecture and elegant wood-work, 
but the shops and the people are sometimes more pic- 



140 



A PROVINCIAL BAZAAR. 



turesque, more thoroughly oriental, there being no 
alloy of Frank costumes and European merchandise. 
The shops are not decorated, as they too often are at 
Cairo, to attract the notice of their best customers, the 
English, on their way to and from India, but entirely 
to gratify the simple wants and tastes of a purely 
Mohammedan population. The little variety, and the 
simplicity of the articles on sale, remind us, there at 
least, " that man wants but little here below." 

Seated before some of the stalls were venerable 
sheakhs, with wrinkled, sun-stained brows and flowing 
beards ; while other stalls were attended to by almost 
children, far more sharp in bargaining than their sires. 
Eed tarboushes (skull caps) and shoes, cheap, gay, 
gaudy maulins and pipe-bowls, for which the place is 
famous, were the most attractive wares. Several 
stalls, however, exhibited far more costly articles of 
sale than are to be bought in any other provincial 
bazaar. The richest and the most attractive were the 
saddle-cloths for horses, three to four pounds each. 
Many were embroidering in the crowded bazaar the 
gold elegant arabesque patterns on Utrecht velvet. 

Close adjoining to one of the richest shops was a 
barber shaving a peasant in the open air, undisturbed 
by noise or crowd. We bought nothing but oranges, 
which were delicious. 

There are excellent baths here, which I visited on 
my first voyage up the Nile. The exterior of the 



A TURKISH BATH. 



141 



building was not remarkable. The first room we enter- 
ed was an octangular chamber formed of lofty arches 
of brick, and a kind of stage on one side, ornamented 
with two fine antique pillars brought from some 
ancient edifice. In the centre of this room was a 
large stove, elevated three feet from the ground. 
From this room we passed into a small room, mode- 
rately heated ; and there we undressed, and wrapped 
round us a couple of napkins. Thus equipped, the 
slippery floor requiring assistance, we were led into 
the bath, a very large room ornamented with arches, 
supported by pillars. 

In the centre of the room, as in the first chamber, 
was a stove, or sudatorium, on which we laid ourselves 
full length, and men, with no other covering than a 
napkin round the loins, set to work scrubbing us 
with a brush in grand style. In the centre of the 
sudatorium was a fountain, which threw out a jet a few 
feet high of hot water, which was continually poured 
upon us. After this operation, we had a kind of 
sherbet presented to us of hot sugar and water, and 
the sheeshah (or water pipe), a delightful kind of 
smoking. 

The barber then appeared, and trimmed our whis- 
kers, moustachios, and beards, and, without lathering 
them, shaved our heads. This was accomplished very 
adroitly and in a very short time, the heat of the 
bath moistening the hair, and rendering the operation 



142 



PRICE OF A BATH. 



easy. Two minutes at the most," after the word was 
given, my thick crop of hair was strewed on the floor. 
Of course those who do not wear the tarboush, or 
turban, and oriental dress— unnecessary in these days 
—would not part with their locks. 

After this operation we were led to a small seat, 
in the same room, and most thoroughly lathered with 
soap, rather a painful part of the process, as it is im- 
possible to keep the eyes so close that the soap does 
not enter. The man then threw on us an immense 
quantity of exceedingly hot water, the effect of which 
was extremely luxurious. 

We were then led into the room where we un- 
dressed, which we found rather chilly after the ex- 
treme heat of the sudatorium. We reposed on beds 
with clean sheets prepared for us, for about an hour, 
a man all the time kneading us with his fists, and 
twisting our fingers, legs, arms, &c, the latter opera- 
tion rather painful for the moment, but afterwards 
productive of a delicious thrill. The barber then ap- 
peared again, and trimmed the nails of our hands and 
feet. At intervals during these operations we took 
cups of coffee, and a few puffs of the water pipe. 

The peasants pay one penny for the bath, and 
others more, according to their rank ; to have the 
bath to ourselves, and the barber, clean linen, cafe, 
pipes, &c, cost us one shilling and ninepence each, 
but would have cost us more had it not been Ramadan, 



BRUTAL TURK. 



143 



and before sunset, the usual time in that month for 
taking the bath ; for then there are such crowds, the 
sacrifice of keeping them out would have been greater. 

I shall never forget that on our way to our boat 
after that bath we heard some cries of distress, and 
hastening to the spot, fortunately arrived in time to 
prevent a brutal Turk committing violence on his ser- 
vant boy, a youth of about twelve years of age, who 
was most thankful to us for having saved him from 
the monster's hands. 

Twenty minutes' ride from the town of Sioot over 
another causeway leads to the ancient cemetery of 
Lycopolis, a picturesque mountain covered with exca- 
vated tombs. Five ranges of them may be counted, 
none of them, they say, containing any sculpture 
worth visiting ; but if I had been strong enough, I 
should have liked to explore them all. Fragments 
of the mummies of wolves are found, and on a former 
visit I carried away a head of one as a remembrance 
of Lycopolis. 

The tomb called the Stabl Antar, which is one of 
the lowest range, is easy of access, and is well worth 
visiting. The ride to it over the rich plain, passing 
the white-domed sepulchres of the picturesque burial- 
ground of the Sheakhs of Sioot, is very pleasing. The 
telegraph wires along the causeway, and the substan- 
tial bridge over the canal near this cemetery, are proofs 
as strong as the little appearance of poverty in the 



144 



THE STABL ANTAR. 



bazaars, that Sioot, like every other place in Egypt, 
has made great progress. 

The Stabl Antar still retains its fine proportions, and 
its lofty arched-shaped roofs, but has almost entirely 
lost the beautiful designs which decorated them. A 
few, however, may still be traced occasionally, and 
figures, and well-executed hieroglyphics. Most of the 
tombs of the Saeed, and even the caverns of the 
Oasis Magna, have been the residence of the monks, 
anchorites, and Christians, who, in times of persecu- 
tion, are described as peopling the deserts of 
Upper Egypt. Many of these men, from their 
wisdom, reflection, habits, austere lives, and odour of 
sanctity, were consulted as oracles ; but it is very 
rarely that the locality, even of the abodes of these 
celebrated hermits, can be ascertained. 

John of Lycopolis, who was supposed to have the 
gift of miracles, and the knowledge of futurity, resided 
here in a cell (probably one of these) fifty years, de- 
voting five days of the week to meditation and prayer, 
and the Sundays to receiving the supplicants that 
came to him from every part of the Christian world. 
Here he is said to have received the envoy of Theo- 
dosius, and promised the Emperor an infallible 
victory (see Gibbon). The view from the Stabl is 
very beautiful of the large city, with its dozen 
mosks, groves of palm-trees, acacias, the magnificent 
plain, and the river, enlivened with the white sails of 



A traveller's boat burned. 



145 



a score of boats, and in the distance a range of yellow 
hills. 

One of those accidents that travellers are liable to 
on the Nile occurred two or three nights before my 
arrival here. The boat of an American gentleman 
was burned to the water's edge. The gentleman had 
retired from his chief cabin with a candle in his hand, 
and a cigar in his mouth. Soon after his return they 
perceived a smell of fire, and he and his two daugh- 
ters, and an English gentleman, their guest, had only 
time to walk ashore, leaving everything they had, 
clothes, jewellery, papers, instruments, &c. Fortu- 
nately a friend's boat came up when the fire was 
raging, and took them in. The gentleman having 
several times previously set fire to his deck cushions 
with his cigar, it is difficult to entertain a doubt of 
his having caused the accident. The only one that 
could be suggested was, that the pilot had a day or 
two previously asked to go ashore, when the wind was 
so strong against them that they were scarcely making 
any progress, and the gentleman said he might go when 
they got to Sioot. " Oh !" said the man, " you will 
never get to Sioot," meaning, of course, on account 
of the violence of the contrary wind which did at that 
time last many days. 

A court, constituted, I believe, of vice-consuls at 
Cairo, decided that the gentleman was not liable, 
chiefly on the ground (says scandal), that if they did 

L 



14G e' haaineh. 

not, there would be boats burned every season. The 
gentleman laid forty pounds on the table for the can- 
teen, and one hundred pounds for the boat, and 
offered these sums to the owner, who, being an 
Oriental, proverbially slow in all their bargains, hesi- 
tated accepting a quarter of the sum he had claimed. 
The gentleman took up the money, started immediately 
by the railway for Alexandria, and very soon from 
there for Europe, without giving a farthing, regardless 
of the entreaties and telegram of the unfortunate 
Dragoman, that if he would give him the money he 
had offered, he would accept it with thankfulness. I 
think if travellers burn their boat they should pay 
for it. 

A favourable breeze carried us pleasantly from 
Sioot to Abooteeg, an ancient town on the west 
bank. With the wind scarcely strong enough to 
master the current, we then coasted beneath a long 
range of yellow hills, almost perfectly flat, and un- 
broken at their summit, but rising precipitately from 
a narrow slip of cultivated land, beautifully planted 
with palms and acacias, especially near E' Raaineh, 
which we passed at noon. There were numerous 
peasants on the banks with goats and sheep. For 
one of the latter they asked sixty piasters, and we 
paid thirty-three for a lamb. 

After an hour's sail the hills make a great bend 
to the east, surrounding a partially-cultivated plain. 



GEBEL SIIEAKII HEREEDEE. 



147 



The summit of the range still continues perfectly flat, 
giving to the rocks in the distance the appearance of 
a huge natural wall, separating the valley of the Nile 
from the eastern desert. Numerous excavated tombs 
at the commencement of this bend, and at other 
places, remind us continually of the very different 
people who occupied the plain, where are now only 
Arab huts. 

At six o'clock we passed the fine bold projecting 
termination of the mountain called Gebel Sheakh 1 lo- 
re edce. It was formerly celebrated for its serpent, 
which, it is said, cured all manner of diseases, and 
the Sheakh, whose white tomb is near the river, has 
now the merit of being equally useful to the devotees 
who visit his sepulchre. 

Winding round this bold rock we found the range 
extends towards the south. It is generally level at 
the summit as before, but the side is almost perpen- 
dicular, picturesquely broken, and apparently end- 
ing in another bold cliff, as imposing as Sheakh He- 
reedee. The fringe of green palm-trees at the base 
forms a striking contrast to the bare yellow moun- 
tains, and acts as some sort of a scale to enable us to 
estimate their great height. The broken surface of 
some of the rocks afforded fine masses of light and 
shadow, and, illuminated with the rays of a glorious 
sunset, was very beautiful. 

At the end of the range the rocks are quite perpen- 

l 2 



148 



FINE SCENERY. 



dicular for two-thirds of their height, which may be 
about three hundred feet, the other third consisting 
of sand or decomposed rock, sloping to the river. 
At the base of the perpendicular part there are 
many tombs. To this grand range of rocks succeed 
three other ranges, each appearing, as we approached 
them, a degree lower than the other, and all quite 
flat on their summits. They appear extending so 
much to the west as almost to bar our passage 
south. 

We were becalmed at E' Raaineh, the second vil- 
lage of that name, for the night. Like most Arab 
villages, it has picturesque pigeon-houses on its roofs. 
The peasants here attacked, some years ago, an En- 
glishman, who fired at the pigeons on their houses, 
wounding him with a lance, and bastinadoing his 
dragoman. 

Soon after starting we observed tombs in the rocks, 
with fragments of columns at their entrances. Not 
having a wind we should have visited them, but the 
Hand-book says they contain no sculpture. 

Continuing our route, the mountain ranges, like 
vast walls, succeeded each other, with fringes of 
green doorah, or Indian corn, at their bases, and oc- 
casional groves of palm-trees. The dreariness of our 
voyage was broken, some would think increased, by 
the monotonous chants of nine of our sailors towing 
the boat, and of the almost naked peasants 



AKHMIM. 



149 



working at the shadoofs. Sometimes peasants with 
flocks of sheep, herds of camels, and occasionally an 
Arab quarrel enlivened the scene. The women with 
light steps, and often graceful forms, carrying on 
their heads large vases, in form almost like the ancient 
Hydrias, filled with water, often on unlevel ground, 
without touching them with their hands, are really 
one of the wonders of the Nile. We bought a fresh 
supply of chickens at a village at sixpence apiece. 
A breeze springing up, we passed the village Soohag 
on the west bank. Those who take an interest in the 
Christian antiquities of the Nile, and have health and 
strength, which I have not, for a fatiguing excursion, 
should go from this place to the Dayr el Abiad, the 
White Convent, and the Dayr el Alimar, the Red 
Convent. 

We soon arrived at Akhmim, formerly one of the 
most important cities of the Thebaid, and still, from 
its battlemented pigeon-houses, mingled with palms, 
and some minarets, rather imposing from the river, 
which now flows close to the town. The bazaar 
is poorly supplied, but wider and more airy than usual. 
Behind the town are some immense stones, the re- 
mains of the ancient city of Panopolis, or Chemmis. 
One of them, measuring nine paces by three, has on 
it the Greek inscription, which has often been copied, 
identifying the site of the temple of Pan; and strange 
to say, the wives of Akhmim, following the fashion of 



150 



TEMPLE LATELY DISCOVERED. 



the ancients, are said to address their vows to these 
relics for a numerous offspring. The view, from the 
ruins of the cemetery, of the town, and its mosks 
and palm-trees, is rather pretty. Excavations are 
now being made here, and the remains of an inter- 
esting temple discovered. 

Next morning we passed Mensheeh, a considerable 
village on the west bank, and though built on the 
mounds of an ancient city, the river is in some places 
washing away the houses. A number of boats, moored 
to the quay, indicate the extensive commerce of the 
town. Close to the Nile we only see splendid crops 
of doorah, often growing from about eight to ten feet 
high, which the peasants consume themselves ; but 
their wheat, which they cultivate more inland, they 
send to Cairo, where it is generally sold from one 
hundred and twenty to two hundred piasters an 
ardeb. The citizens and people of the metropolis 
never eat doorah, even now that considerable distress 
exists there from the dearness of all the necessaries 
of life. 

It is often amusing tracking close to the villages ; 
the picturesque groups, of all ages and sexes, are in- 
teresting, and, as I have said, to enliven the scene, 
there is always some dispute. 

On the east bank we have still the range of yellow 
mountains, which appears to terminate at a short dis- 



GIRGEH. 



151 



tance from us, but in the distance another lower 
range is seen. 

The best dressed people in the villages, besides the 
usual loose blue dress, wear still the becoming white 
turbans round their red tarboushes. The children 
run about quite naked, but the adults are a degree 
more delicate than they used to be. 

Towards evening, with a slight breeze, we coasted 
under Gebel e Howdee, a bold precipitous rock, full 
of little caves, and sailed along a picturesque broken 
cliff, containing some tombs, and as we approached 
Girgeh admired its appearance in the distance. 

Girgeh is situated close to the river. A grove of 
palms conceals its Arab houses, above which tower 
two graceful minarets, and in the distance is a 
range of broken yellowish mountains. Before land- 
ing at Girgeh, we were dragged along the old town, 
where not only the. houses but several mosks have 
been almost entirely washed away by the river, and 
several others seem endangered. The town has a 
most ruinous appearance, but occasionally picturesque, 
especially at one point, where the stone walls and 
fine ruined arches and columns of a mosk are seen ; 
and also the well-proportioned minarets of several 
mosks adjoining. These arches are the remains of 
one of the finest mosks at Girgeh, and another year 
or two's inundation will utterly destroy the arches 



152 



THE BAZAARS. 



and the minarets that are still standing. Girgeh was 
formerly the capital of Upper Egypt. 

We rambled in the bazaars, which are very old 
and curious, some were shaded from the sun, and all 
crowded with picturesque groups of peasants. The 
articles for sale were of the rudest and cheapest de- 
scription. Fine melons were in great abundance, 
and it is a good place for purchasing a stock of tur- 
keys, the price being only one shilling and three- 
pence apiece. 



153 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Arabat el Matfoon, the Ancient Abydus — Important Excavations — 
Entrance to the Great Temple of Osiris — Interesting Sculptures 
— Beautiful Temple buried in the Sand — Sculptures representing 
Osiris — Remarks on Egyptian Mythology — Belief in an Eternal 
God, and Deification of His Attributes — Origin of Egyptian 
Mythology — The Animai Worship of the Egyptians — Belief in 
the Immortality of the Soul, and its Migration through the 
bodies of Animals — -Arrival at the Village of Bellianeh — Far- 
shoot — Groves of the Dom, or Fan-leaved Palm — The Sports- 
man's Mansion — The Kasr e Syad Range of Rocks — The Village 
of Dishne — Ruins of Dendera — Temple of Athor — Sculptures 
of the Portico — Interior and Exterior of the Temple — Temple of 
Isis — Representations of the Goddess Athor — Egyptian Scenery 
and Architecture — Anecdote Illustrative of the Value of Money 
formerly in Egypt. 

On my return to Girgeh in the spring I made an ex- 
cursion to Abydus, the modern name of which is 
Arabat el Matfoon (the buried). It is a three hours' 
ride from here, and only two from Bellianeh, a village 
further south ; but tolerable horses can be got here, 
and at Bellianeh probably only indifferent donkeys. 
Our route lay over a vast plain covered with splendid 
crops of wheat in ear, and there were a great number 



154 



SUCCESSFUL EXCAVATIONS. 



of small enclosures, made of the doorah stalks ; some 
open at the top, and many with the stalks inclined, 
forming arches. These temporary habitations are 
erected after the Nile retires, and have a very patri- 
archal appearance, from the picturesque groups sur- 
rounding them — women with their faces most carefully 
covered, children, camels, cows, sheep, goats, dogs, 
and some unusually fine short-horned bulls. 

Two hours' ride brought us to a large village, very 
picturesque, with its white pigeon-houses on the roofs, 
and groves of palms, with the desert and a grand 
chain of rocks behind, flat and unbroken but very fine 
from being almost perpendicular. Abydus shared 
with Philse and other places the reputation of hav- 
ing the body of Osiris ; and it is recorded in the 
hieroglyphics that the great and wealthy of the land 
were buried in this sacred territory to enjoy, when 
life's toils were over, the odour of its sanctity. 

The temples are worthy of its reputation, and the 
Museums of Europe are enriched with treasures taken 
from this place. Only last year some most magnifi- 
cent and beautiful gold ornaments crowned the exca- 
vations made here for the Pasha under the direction 
of Signor Marietti. 

Fifty minutes' ride over the desert behind this vil- 
lage brought us to the present entrance of the Great 
Temple of Osiris, ornamented with sculpture repre- 
senting Rameses II. making offerings to Be ; this 



THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS. 



155 



leads into a hall containing fourteen columns with the 
papyrus bud capital and seven polygonal columns with 
the Doric capital. Two of the latter are excavated 
now to their circular base, the other columns only 
half-way down the shafts. On the latter and on the 
walls King Osirei I. is represented making offerings to 
Osiris and Athor, and presenting garlands of flowers 
and libations to Isis. 

On one side of this hall the sculpture is very beau- 
tiful, admirable as elsewhere in the style, and retain- 
ing much of its colour. The king is seen, with the 
head-dress of the blue helmet, between Horns and 
Isis, both holding the graduated staff of the panegy- 
rics, and below this subject the same divinities are 
addressing the king. Further on, King Osirei on his 
knees is offering incense to Osiris on a beautifully 
painted throne. Isis is seated on a more faded 
throne behind the king, with one hand on his head, 
and holding the staff of the panegyries in the other. 
Below this subject are Horns and the king, and Pthah, 
with the head-dress and attribute of Anubis, embracing 
the king. Further on the king is making offerings 
to Amun Ra, seated on a throne, Osiris also seated 
behind him. 

Four doorways ornamented with sculpture, repre- 
senting the same king making offerings to Osiris and 
Isis, lead into as many chambers with arched-shaped 



156 



TEMPLE BURIED IN THE SAND. 



roofs, cleared out almost to the floors. The sculpture 
in the last is the best preserved, and retains some 
remains of colour. The king Osirei is represented 
making offerings to Osiris and Amun Ra, and to the 
sacred ark of Kneph, with a ram's head and horns at 
each end, and containing a shrine and flabella. 

Behind this room is another partly excavated with 
an arched-shaped roof and polygonal columns. There 
are doorways leading out of the great hall to courts 
ornamented with columns with bud-shaped capitals, 
bearing the name of Eameses II., but these rooms 
and the rest of the temple remain still uncleared, 
the immense masses of stone forming the roof are only 
to be seen. 

A few paces south of this temple is a similar roof 
of another temple, entirely buried in the sand. This 
great temple of Osiris must have rivalled any in the 
valley of the Nile, for the elegant simplicity and gran- 
deur of the architecture, and the beauty of the sculp- 
ture in slight relief. The site of these ruins is also 
most interesting ; the bleak, wild desert, and grand 
chain of mountains on one side, and the brilliant ver- 
dure of the immense plain on the other. 

Five minutes' ride from these ruins are the remains 
of another beautiful temple, retaining fragments of 
colouring. At the end, towards the desert, in what 
appears to have been a side room of the sanctuary, is 



VIVID COLOURING. 



157 



an interesting representation of the king making offer- 
ings before a shrine, behind which are seated exquisite 
representations of the deities — Netre, Selk, and 
Athor, all wearing the same head-dress of a vulture, 
and a kind of basket, the colouring quite vivid, as if 
very lately uncovered. On the door of the room is 
the name of Rameses II. 

There are great masses of granite in the sanctuary, 
before which were two courts, which appeared to have 
been ornamented with eight columns each ; and on 
the wall of the second are some beautiful representa- 
tions of the divinities of the Nile, and on the great 
masses of the grey granite doorway which led to it, 
is the name again of Rameses II., and representations 
of Thoth and Osiris. The temple is not cleared out 
from this court to the remains of a large granite gate- 
way, which was the principal entrance into the temple ; 
but on one fragment I observed the name of Athor. 
On the gateway are the same names of the king and 
divinities. 

The great temple I have described erected in 
honour of the god Osiris, and the homage paid to that 
divinity in every city, temple, and tomb in the valley 
of the Nile, are strong evidence (notwithstanding the 
dubious authority of the classics, and that some hiero- 
glyphics call him the son of Seb), that he was one of 
the earliest and probably the greatest of the Egyptian 



158 



THE GREAT DEITY OSIRIS. 



divinities. Osiris and Isis are the Nile and Egypt.* 
Whatever types of the divinity were peculiarly wor- 
shipped in the different cities, due reverence was 
always paid to Osiris, the greatest of all the gods, f 
The sculptures prove indubitably that Osiris was the 
judge of the world ; and the book of the dead shows 
how every mortal had to justify himself before the 
great judge of Amenti. The inhabitants of Thebes 
and other places sought permission, as I have said, to 
have sepulchres in this his holy city. J 

According to Manetho's chronology, given by 
Syncellus, Osiris and Isis were among the seven 
deities who reigned before the demi-gods and kings ; 
and Herodotus says § that Isis was the greatest of all 
the deities, and that she enjoyed with Osiris the same 
honours through every part of Egypt, a privilege not 
granted to the other gods. Wilkinson admits || that 
Osiris, in his office of judge of Amenti, and as the 
object of the most sacred and undivulgecl mysteries, 
held a rank above all the gods of Egypt. 

No traveller can fully and deeply appreciate the 
pictorial representations on the temples and tombs of 
Egypt who does not allow that all intelligent Egyp- 
tians (at least in the earliest times) believed in an 

* Bunsen's Egypt, vol. i., p. 437. 
f Herodotus, ii., 40. 

% Wilkinson, M. and C, 2nd series, i., 346. 
§ Herodotus, ii., 42. 

|| Wilkinson, M. and C, 2nd series, i., 314. 



THE RELIEF OF THE EGYPTIANS. 



150 



eternal God, from whom all the other deities were 
produced. * 

* The divinities can only be accurately distinguished by their 
hieroglyphics, as they often assume the forms of other gods. Within 
the limit of a note, I can only mention how some of them are gene- 
rally distinguished : 

Amun Ra. — "The Intellectual Sun,"* called in the hieroglyphics the 
King of the Gods (two long feathers on his cap). 

Neph. — f " The Spirit of the Deity," which presided over the crea- 
tion (a ram's head, &c). 

Pthah (Vulcan) — " The Creative Power of the Deity," X called in 
hieroglyphics the Lord of Truth (generally mummy-shaped, and 
almost always with the emblem of stability, with cross bars). 

Khein (Pan) — " The Creator of the World," The Generative Prin- 
ciple, The Generating Influence of the Sun § (mummy- shaped, with 
Amun's feathers). 

Sate — u The Egyptian Juno"|| (with an arrow always in the hiero- 
glyphics). 

Maut. — " Nature, the Mother of All " ^ (a vulture and half circle 
in the hieroglyphics). 

Pasht. — " Bubastis, the Diana of the Egyptians " (cat's head). 

Neith. — " The Egyptian Minerva (an oval, with two hooks at 
each end in the hieroglyphics). 

Seb. — Called " The Father of the Gods" ff (a goose on his head 
and in his hieroglyphics). 

Osiris, Xt that attribute of the Deity which signifies Divine Good- 
ness (an eye in the hieroglyphics above a throne). 

Isis, "The Royal Wife and Sister of Osiris " (a throne, half -circle, 
and egg in hieroglyphics). 

Athor, " The Egyptian Venus " (a hawk in a square in the hiero- 
glyphics). 

Re, "The Sun" (hawk's head, and hawk, with two ovals in hiero- 
glyphics, distinguishing him from Horus, Aroeris, and Hor Hat, who 
are also represented with a hawk's head). 

Anubis, whose office was to superintend the passage of the souls from 
this life to a future state (always with a jackal's head). 

Thoth, "The Egyptian Mercury," the scribe in the sacred rites of 
Osiris (with the head of the ibis). 

Savak, "a deified form of the Sun " §§ (with a crocodile's head). 

* Wilkinson, M. and C, vol. L, p. 246. t Ibid, 235-243. 
% Ibid, 248. § Ibid, 257-264. || Ibid, 266. f Ibid, 271. 

** Ibid, 282. ft Ibid, 308. %t Ibid, 441. §§ Ibid, 230. 



160 



EARLY MYTHOLOGY. 



As Wilkinson says,* the Divinity was not repre- 
sented in Egyptian sculptures, and the figures of the 
gods were deified attributes indicative of the intellect, 
power, goodness, might, and other qualities of the 
eternal being. Though the names and titles of all 
the gods and goddesses can now be read, the mytho- 
logy of the Egyptians is almost as clouded as the 
chronology and the exact character of the divinities, 
and the true meaning of their mysterious rites time 
only and further discoveries may perhaps fully unfold. 
The monuments afford no certain evidence of a 
Sabasan mode of worship so common in the earliest 
ages in the East, though at a later period the god Ke, 
the type of the Sun, was greatly honoured ; but it is 
a great and astonishing fact, as Bunsen observes f 
that the empire of Menes, on its first appearance in 
history, possessed an established mythology, that is, 
a series of gods. 

There is reason to suppose that the Egyptian my- 
thology is derived originally from Asia. Bunsen's 
comparison^ of some of the names of the Egyptian 

Thmei, "The Goddess of Truth and Justice" (with a feather on 
her head, and generally wings). 

There are at least forty more Gods and Goddesses, |||| most of them, 
however, rarely seen except in late times, on Ptolemaic and Roman 
constructions, when the religion had become more corrupt. 

* M. and C, 2nd series, vol. i., p. 179. 
t Bunsen's Egypt, vol. i., p. 358. 
% Bunsen's Egypt, vol. iv., p. 355-6. 

1 1| See Wilkinson's learned work. 



ANIMAL WORSHIP. 



161 



gods and goddesses with those of the Syrian, Phoeni- 
cian and Babylonian divinities, is very striking, and 
the names of the Asiatic deities can never be made 
ont to be derived from the Egyptian. 

The animal worship of the Egyptians, and their 
great expenses in keeping and embalming the ibis, 
cats, fish, cows, crocodiles, wolves, jackals, dogs, 
hawks, serpents, and especially the apis, as we see 
at Sakkara, and their grief at their death, is not yet 
sufficiently explained, and that almost all these ani- 
mals were the symbols of divinities, who are repre- 
sented with their heads, is remarkable ; but the 
reason why such animals were so honoured in prefer- 
ence to others more useful to man does not appear. 

From the book of the dead we learn* that, accord- 
ing to the creed of the Egyptians, the soul of man 
was divine, and therefore immortal. It was subject 
to personal responsibility. The consequences of evil 
actions was banishment from the presence of God. 

This view of the connection between the belief 
in immortality, and that of the migration of the 
soul through animal bodies, explains the doctrine of 
animal worship, and the representation of deities 
with human bodies and animal heads ; it is, however, 
to be remarked that Osiris, the god of the spiritual 
world, the judge of the soul, has never any but the 
human form. 

* Bunsen's Egypt, vol. iv., p. 648. 

M 



162 



THE SPORTSMAN'S MANSION. 



The sailors having brought in their stock of 
bread and strewed it on our cabins for the sun to 
bake it into biscuit, we set sail with a slight breeze, 
which soon carried us away from the lofty rocks of 
Girgeh, and in three hours we arrived at Bellianeh, a 
considerable village close to the river. The west 
bank is rich in palm-groves and villages. On the 
other side there are few, and what there are, we are 
separated from by islands. The morning being 
hazy, the very low distant hills are scarcely visible in 
the distance. At Behares we approached a range of 
yellow hills, which appeared to cross our path. 

A pleasant breeze carried us to Farshoot, a large 
town, the residence of a Mahmoor, or Governor, 
coasting close to a range of bold, precipitous yellow 
rocks. At their base we observed groves of the dom, 
or fan-leaved palm. On the east bank is a long forest 
of palms, mingled with acacias, but the chimneys of 
the sugar manufactories are not picturesque. The 
views were afterwards flatter than usual, no hills being 
visible, except a distant range to the south. 

The next morning we found that a slight breeze in 
the night had taken us past Kasr e Syad, or the 
Sportsman's Mansion, and certainly we saw wild-fowl 
in abundance to justify the name — vultures, pelicans, 
and immense flocks of geese. The village looks pic- 
turesque in the distance, with its white pigeon-houses 
on the roofs, giving a height and colouring to the 



A SCENE ON THE RIVER. 



1(33 



habitations, generally wanting to the huts of the 
Arabs, which are almost always of the same brown 
tint as the soil around them, and of which they are 
constructed. 

The perfect calm we now had was not without its 
attractions. The fine bold range of rocks of Kasr e 
Syad was beautifully reflected in the river, which 
was smooth and shining in the sun as an unclouded 
mirror, the current not appearing to make the slight- 
est ripple on its surface. In the distance were ranges 
of the same kind of light-yellow rocks, in perspective 
lower apparently than the range of Kasr e Syad, flat 
on their summits, protecting, by a succession of huge 
walls, the rich and verdant valley of the Nile from 
the wild and terrible wilderness. It was a view 
peculiarly Egyptian, and combined all the striking 
peculiarities of this strange land. The very noises 
which in the distance disturbed but slightly the de- 
lightful calmness of the scene, were characteristic of 
the country. The laborious peasants chanting as 
they toiled, almost naked, at the shadoofs, boatmen 
singing melodious choruses as they rowed down the 
stream, and sometimes immense flocks of geese and 
ducks cawing prodigiously, as in long files, almost 
in battle array, they flew over our heads apparently 
journeying to Nubia, like ourselves, seeking a warmer, 
dryer, and more genial climate than even Egypt. 

Soon afterwards, having lost sight of the chain of 

M 2 



164 



THE RUINS OF DENDERA. 



rocks on our left, the views became monotonous in 
the extreme, but, for a novelty, we had a chain of 
hills visible on our right, some of them covered with 
sand to their summits. 

We met several great rafts, made of the large 
Ballasee jars, universally used in the valley of the 
Nile for carrying water. Four sailors with boughs 
of trees for oars guided rather than impelled the 
raft. 

In the evening we arrived at the village of Dishne, 
on the east bank. The remains of the old village 
are close to the river, which has destroyed it. The 
modern village is better built, and is picturesque with 
its white pigeon-houses, partly screened by groves of 
acacias and palms. The traffic of the place must be 
considerable, as I counted seventeen boats moored to 
the bank. 

Opposite to it is an extensive plain of cultivated 
land, bordered by a low range of mountains. A fresh 
breeze springing up, we soon arrived at Dendera. The 
temple of Dendera, the ancient Tentyra, when the 
Nile waters do not interfere, is only half an hour's 
ride from the bank ; but on my last visit we were an 
hour in reaching the ruins, the donkey-man believing 
there was water on the plain, and, unnecessarily as it 
proved, taking ns round by the village of Esbe. We 
passed through groves of palms and doms, celebrated 



THE TEMPLE OF ATIIOR. 



165 



in the time of Juvenal : " Qui vicina colunt umbrosce 
Tentyra palmce." 

The dom, the great ornament of the Thebaid, and 
also found in Upper Nubia, and in the Oasis Magna, 
has a single stem, which a few feet from the ground 
forks into two branches, and each of these fork in a 
similar way. The branches terminate in a tuft of 
large fern-shaped leaves, and the russet-brown coloured 
fruit, of the size of potatoes, which grow in clusters, 
consists of a very hard nut, covered by a fibrous sub- 
stance, which has quite the taste of ginger-bread, but 
so hard it is eaten only in Ethiopia. 

The extensive brick ruins of Dendera, considerably 
elevated above the plain, are situated near the foot 
of a ridge of rather broken hills. The remains of an 
unimportant pylon leads to the principal temple of 
Athor, which was cleared out by Abbas Pasha. 

The first view of the exterior of the temple, with 
its plain walls, now destitute of colour, will, perhaps, 
disappoint many, but the beautiful portico will 
speedily remove this impression. The cornice of 
the portico is richly decorated with alternately winged 
globes and winged serpents, wearing the pschent 
overshadowing the royal names and titles of the Em- 
peror Tiberius, who added this splendid portico to the 
original temple. In the centre of the architrave is 
the winged globe, the Agathodsemon, and on each 



166 



INTERIOR QE THE GREAT TEMPLE. 



side processions of gods and goddesses, and two figures 
playing the harp and one the tambourine. Six 
columns, partly united by screens with capitals of the 
heads of Athor, above which are square slabs, repre- 
senting beautifully decorated shrines, with the urgeus 
and the disk, support the architrave. 

The interior is now far more imposing than the ex- 
terior. The circular bases of the columns resting on 
square plinths, being now all visible, the magnificent 
effect of the twenty -four immense columns, with Athor- 
headecl capitals, which, including the six of the facade, 
adorn the portico, is fully displayed. Though not 
one of the faces is uninjured, their beautiful expres- 
sion may still be traced. The architecture is heavy 
and the style of the sculpture bad, but the general 
effect is, nevertheless, so striking that this portico 
will ever be considered one of the architectural won- 
ders of the Nile. 

Every portion of the portico, I may say of the 
temple, is covered with sculpture, representing diffe- 
rent Egyptian gods and goddesses. Athor nursing 
her son, and receiving offerings especially over the 
heads of Athor, of the huge columns forming the 
centre avenue of the portico, is the most conspicuous 
subject. The effect of the sculpture is rich, and 
must have been still more so when beautifully coloured, 
and doubtless it is very striking to those who are un- 
accustomed to the purer and more elegant style of 



INTERESTING SCULPTURES. 



167 



the older dynasties. These sculptures arc entirely 
Roman. The roof of the portico is interesting for 
its sculptures, representing the signs of the Zodiac ; 
but time, or torches, have dimmed them, and, now 
the portico is cleared, the height from the floor, being 
much greater than it was, renders it almost impossible 
to distinguish them. 

Some of the most interesting subjects have been taken 
away, but with a favourable light, the roof is, however, 
still beautiful; the part where divinities are repre- 
sented in boats sailing round the world is the best pre- 
served. The masonry of this grand portico will as- 
tonish those who take an interest in architecture. 
Built eighteen hundred years ago, the junction of the 
stones can scarcely be seen; nor will they admire less 
the beautiful perspective effect of the four rooms 
leading from the portico, the entrances into them 
diminishing gradually in size, and their decorations, 
especially the winged globe over each, visible from 
the grand portico. The first room leading from 
the portico is ornamented with six columns, but the 
Ptolemaic capitals, with the heads of Isis above, are 
much injured. This leads to two rooms and the iso- 
lated sanctuary, and at the side of this centre suite 
are seventeen lateral chambers and corridors, but 
candles are requisite to explore them thoroughly. 
The exterior of the temple is worth examining. On the 
north side there are conduits by which the rain- 



168 



PORTRAIT OF CLEOPATRA. 



water was carried from the roof, decorated with lions, 
heads, some perfect and well sculptured. 

On turning to the back of the temple, the first 
figure is the celebrated Cleopatra, wearing, for head- 
dress, the horned globe and feathers, and offering be- 
hind Ptolemy Csesarion, her son, a vase and a shrine 
to the god Horus. The face is much injured, but 
the expression is pleasing. The nose is a little 
longer and straighter than usual, especially in the 
repetition of her portrait still more injured at the 
south end of the same back wall ; and there is no 
doubt they are intended for likenesses of the cele- 
brated Egyptian queen. Though I am not one who 

" Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt," 

I think if these portraits are examined attentively, 
and allowance made for the conventionalities of style, 
beauty may still be traced. The total length of the 
temple is two hundred and sixty-six feet, the breadth 
of the back ninety-five feet six inches. Immediately 
behind the great temple is a small one of Isis, not re- 
markable for the architecture, but beautifully deco- 
rated. Isis, Thoth, and Horus are the chief divinities 
represented. The cow the Sepoys are said to have 
worshipped I did not see. The pylon belonging to 
this temple, to the east, is scarcely worth going to, 
except for its Greek inscription, which has been often 
copied. 



POLICY OF THE ROMANS. 



169 



On the right of the small pylon, leading to the great 
temple, is a small Typhonium, or lying-in place, built 
and decorated with sculpture by the Eomans. The 
columns on the side of the temple of Athor are 
finished, and, as far as they are clear, present Ptole- 
maic capitals, on which are Typhonian figures down 
to their knees, with head-dresses of feathers, and 
holding in each hand wreaths of lotus-flowers. The 
sculpture in the interior is interesting. The nume- 
rous representations of Athor nursing her son, and 
Thoth very busy marking his graduated staff, justify 
this place being called, by Champollion, the lying-in 
place of the goddess. Among the mounds of brick 
ruins are numerous fragments of stone buildings. 

The magnificent portico of the great temple, and 
almost all the sculpture which in every part enriches 
it, are some of the many proofs in the valley of the 
Nile of the deference of the Eomans for the religion 
of the Egyptians. 

Athor was, however, the Egyptian Yenus. Her 
head-dress is almost similar to that of Isis, and she is 
only to be distinguished from that goddess by her 
hieroglyphics. Both these divinities were worshipped 
by the Eomans, but they would scarcely have gone 
to the expense of erecting one of the grandest por- 
ticoes, for its architecture, in the valley of the Nile, 
if it had not been their policy to conciliate the people 
subject to their dominion. 



170 THE HORIZONTAL LINES IN ARCHITECTURE. 

The magnificent temples erected by the Ptolemies 
and Kornans, in deference to the religion of the 
Egyptians, " as if in obedience to the oft-repeated 
answers of the Delphic Oracle : c The gods should 
everywhere be worshipped according to the laws of 
the country/ " # will often excite the surprise of 
travellers on the Nile. 

On approaching and leaving Dendera, and observing 
the temple at a distance, with the usual ridge of flat hills 
behind, it is difficult to avoid the conviction that it is 
the flatness of the ranges of hills in Egypt, their long 
horizontal lines, which may be the origin of their ex- 
treme fondness of the horizontal line in architecture. 
To English architects, who have such a dread of it, 
continually breaking it with hideous statues and 
vases, or generally hybrids between a tea-urn and a 
vase, this characteristic of Egyptian architecture, 
carried to such an extreme, must be almost painful. 
The very simplicity of this style has, however, a cer- 
tain grandeur. The exterior architecture is the noble 
frame of the picture — the exquisite columns, the 
gorgeously, but harmoniously, painted sculpture and 
hieroglyphics, were the picture ; and though Egyptian 
temples may be more picturesque for the artist when 
half in ruins and roofless — almost perfect temples, 
like this one, and more especially Edfoo, give us a 
greater insight into the tastes and mind of the people. 

* Skarpe's Egypt. 



OBJECT OF THE SCULPTURE. 



171 



A style more suitable to their religion could not have 
been adopted ; the masses of blank wall must have 
been very attractive when the sculpture retained its 
colouring. Such colossal representations, visible at 
a great distance, as those I have mentioned, of Pto- 
lemy and Cleopatra making rich offerings to the 
divinities, were astute devices to stimulate the people 
to follow their example. The walls of the edifices 
of Egypt were a substitute for a press, and taught 
the people all that was then considered worth know- 
ing — the arts of life — to honour their king, and wor- 
ship the gods. 

My young donkey, not liking the long round by 
Esbe, took advantage of an opportunity, and set off 
home alone at a gallop, an awkward accident for an 
invalid who can walk but little. After an hour's run 
my men caught it, and we took the hint from the 
donkey, and crossed the plain, which saved us twenty 
minutes ; but, the animal being a very small one and 
my legs long, it was not pleasant crossing ploughed 
fields and undried gutters. 

Travellers abuse the peasants they meet near the 
antiquities as mercenary, and never satisfied with 
any amount of baksheesh, but do not reflect that it is 
they who have corrupted them. A little anecdote 
occurred to me once at Dendera, which I will men- 
tion, as illustrative of the value of money formerly in 
this country, and also of the character of the Arabs. 



172 



BAKSHEESH. 



On my first visit to these antiquities, nearly thirty 
years ago, two men followed us the whole of the day 
with goolehs of water to drink — one an old man about 
seventy, the other about thirty-five, an amazingly 
strong and powerful fellow ; they were both wretch- 
edly clad, a few tattered fragments of brown stuff, 
the colour of the wool of their sheep, scarcely afford- 
ing a more ample covering than decency required. 
Their turbans, made of nets, were rather picturesque, 
and strikingly characteristic of the manner of earning 
their scanty subsistence. On leaving the ruins we 
gave them a piaster to divide between them. They 
were delighted with the sum, though it was only 
three pence, but begged us to give them two half- 
piasters, as neither of them had change to give the 
other, and they lived in different directions. Being 
most miserable objects, we gave them another, mak- 
ing one each. They were almost mad with delight, 
endeavouring to kiss our hands. The old man was 
profuse in his acknowledgments, and the young one 
ran off, and in a few moments he appeared again 
from amongst the ruins, with an immense gun, with 
a barrel of the shape of a blunderbuss, and, as it was 
nearly dark, in return for our liberality, he insisted 
on accompanying us to the bank, a distance of nearly 
two miles. Not content with this proof of his grati- 
tude, he helped himself, out of a field, to as many 
beans as he could carry on his shoulders, and with 



GRATEFUL PEASANT. 



173 



this burthen he walked on at a rapid rate before us, 
found us a boat to join our own, and, in spite of our 
remonstrances, not wishing to receive goods we had 
every reason to believe stolen, deposited the beans in 
our boat, and carried us into it through the water. 



174 



CHAPTER IX. 

Town of Keneh — Proposed Railway Company — Porous Water Jars 
— Picturesque Village — Impressions on a First Visit to Thebes 
— The Palace-Temple of Koorneh — The Memnonium, or Palace- 
Temple of Rameses II. — Beautiful Sculptures — Fragment of a Co- 
lossal Statue — Interior Courts of the Great Hall — Battle Scenes 
—Astronomical Sculptures — Colossal Statues — Vocal Statue of 
Memnon — Medeenet Haboo — The Site of Thebes — Beautiful Views 
■ — Sculpture and Hieroglyphics — Pavilion or Residence of the 
King — Representation of Rameses III. — Remains of Egyptian 
Decoration — Sculptures representing Religious Processions of the 
Egyptians — Representations of Naval and Land Engagements — 
Small Ptolemaic Temple, 

Opposite the ruins of Dendera, but some distance 
from the river, is the town of Keneh, the residence 
of a governor. The commerce with Arabia is chiefly 
carried on from here by way of Kossayr, on the Red 
Sea. An English company has proposed to make a 
railway from Cairo to Keneh, 380 miles — from Keneh 
to Kossayr, 90 miles — and Kossayr to Eas Banas (an- 
cient Berenice), 130 miles — which, they assert, would 
be a saving of two days for the traffic to India, and save, 
also, an important portion of the difficult navigation of 



EXCELLENT WATER. 



175 



the Red Sea. The port of Kossayr, besides being dan- 
gerous for coral reefs, is only large enough for brigs, and 
the harbour, if deserving the name, of lias Banas, is, I 
am told by a gentleman who sounded it, far too shallow 
for a harbour. The Pasha has declined the proposal, 
preferring to make it himself, but as the Suez Canal 
is to be carried on, I trust the peasants will not be 
forced from their fields for another great work. 

A great variety of costumes is seen in the bazaars. 
The town is famous for the porous water-jars and 
bottles, zeers and goollehs, made of clay found in 
the adjacent hills, and the sifted ashes of the half eh 
grass. The delicious cool water they enable us to 
enjoy is really one of the greatest luxuries of the Mle, 
as the water, when filtered, has never any injurious 
effects. Those who have wintered, as I have, at 
Algiers, or other parts of Africa, and know with what 
precautions the water must there be drunk, and that 
it is only tolerably cool the moment it is drawn from 
the well, will appreciate the water of the Nile. 

On leaving Dendera the views were, for some time, 
monotonous, but we had a ridge of rocks on our 
right, which, instead of being quite fiat on the sum- 
mit, as almost all the ranges we have hitherto seen, 
was lofty in the centre and diminished gradually in 
height as it extended north and south. 

Passing Ballas on the west bank, famous, as I have 
said, for the rafts of earthen jars which it sends 



176 COPTIC AND CATHOLIC CONVENTS. 

down the Nile every year, and Kobt, the once con- 
siderable town of Coptos, on the east bank, of which 
some unimportant remains may still be seen, we 
were becalmed almost all the night. 

Next morning we found ourselves opposite a fine 
semi-circular range of mountains, flat, as usual, on 
their summits, but their surface broken, and in some 
parts perpendicular. At their base is a broad strip 
of cultivated land, covered with rich crops, and groves 
of palm-trees and acacias. There are numerous vil- 
lages, but by far the most imposing is the pretty vil- 
lage of Negadeh, on the western bank, the houses 
being more lofty than usual, and less ruined, though 
it is situated close to the river. There are Coptic 
and Catholic convents, but it is chiefly inhabited by 
Copts. 

Opposite this picturesque village is the entrance to 
an old canal planted with trees, but they say it only 
extends half an hour's walk. 

We tracked for sometime along the bank on our right, 
which was planted with a continuous line of acacias 
and tamarisks, and ridges of hills were visible in the 
distance on our left. The river bore for some time 
towards the west, but when we resumed our southerly 
course a fresh breeze carried us joyfully to Thebes. 



Thebes. 

A first visit to Thebes must ever be one of the 



ARRIVAL AT THEBES. 



177 



most "impressive events in every man's life. The 
gigantic and imposing ruins surpass anything of the 
kind to be seen elsewhere ; and the sculptures which 
adorn the walls of the temples and tombs are the only 
pages in which, as far as the knowledge of hierogly- 
phics extends, we can now with certainty read the 
principal events of the greatest Egyptian kings, their 
wars, their triumphs, and their gratitude to the gods, 
the ceremonies and mysteries of the most mysterious 
of religions, and the arts, occupations, trades, and 
private life of the people 

The temples of the Memnonium and Mecleenet Haboo 
should be seen before Luxor and Karnak on the opposite 
bank. On my first visit up the Nile, I spent eight 
months here, measuring and drawing the temples and 
tombs, and reading almost all that had been written 
by ancient and modern writers. Such elaborate and 
accurate descriptions have been given of every ves- 
tige of antiquity on the Theban plains (especially by 
the author of the Handbook), that I shall merely 
transcribe the notes of my last visit (as an invalid), 
to those remains I knew to be best worth visiting, and 
shall give no details except such as are requisite to 
describe the present state of the architecture, sculp- 
ture, and the recent excavations. 

Travellers, on their arrival at Thebes, should have 
their boat moored as near to the village of Koorneh 
and its temple as the state of the river will permit. 

N 



178 



TEMPLE OF KOORNEH. 



The first appearance of this temple is not imposing, 
and will excite little admiration, bnt it is well worth 
examining. Some immense stones, one bearing the 
name of King Osirei, are all that remain of the courts 
and pylons which led up to the temple. Ten columns, 
which formed the western corridor of the court, are 
now standing. 

In describing the temples, which are nearly parallel 
to the river, I will always describe them as fronting 
east and west, though this is often far from being their 
true position. These columns have the capitals of the 
lotus bud, one of the most elegant of the oldest 
period. This corridor leads into a hall ornamented 
with six columns, with bud-shaped capitals, but these 
capitals, and also the shafts of the columns, are not 
ribbed, and may therefore be called of the papyrus. 
This leads into a room, which I think was the sanc- 
tuary, from the splendid arks on the walls. Beyond 
it is another room, and the four pillars which adorned 
it still support their architraves. On each side of 
the hall are three small chambers, and there are other 
lateral rooms, which formed part of the palace. 

The sculpture of this building is much broken, 
but the style is very beautiful, being of the best 
period of Egyptian art, and besides the processions of 
arks I have mentioned, represents Rameses II. making 
offerings chiefly to Amun Ea and his ancestor, Ba- 
rneses I. 



THE MEMNONIUM. 



170 



Passing some unimportant vestiges of ancient 
temples, less attractive than the grand western moun- 
tain, beautifully broken and honeycombed with tombs, 
twenty minutes' ride brought us to the Palace Temple 
of Eameses, called by the Greeks the Memnonium, 
from his title of Miamun (beloved of Amun), con- 
tained in his phonetic name. This has ever been 
considered one of the most interesting temples in 
the valley of the Nile. No Arab or Christian mud 
huts destroy the effect of the imposing architecture, 
and the sculpture which decorates the walls is attrac- 
tive, not only for the important historical subjects re- 
presented, but also for the extreme elegance of the 
style. 

The most superficial observer cannot fail to see how 
the figures and hieroglyphics of this, the Augustan 
period of Egyptian art, surpass in grace and beauty 
the clumsy — and, as to the hieroglyphics, almost ille- 
gible — sculptures of the Greeks and Eomans at Den- 
dera. 

The great propylon, now half destroyed, led into a 
court where there is nothing remaining but a frag- 
ment of the most stupendous colossal statue that 
ever was executed in the world. It excites little ad- 
miration now, as not a feature can be traced — except 
for the beauty of the Syenite granite, of which it is 
made ; but how such a mass, calculated to have 
weighed when entire eight hundred and eighty-seven 

N 2 



180 



BATTLE SCENES. 



tons, could, in those days, ever have been excavated 
at Syene, transported to Thebes, erected at this tem- 
ple, and thus destroyed, must ever be the most diffi- 
cult problems for antiquarians or engineers to decide. 

The sculpture of the east side of the propylon is 
defaced. On the west side of the northern tower of 
the propylon may still be distinguished the capture 
of several Asiatic towns by Eameses II. ; the camp, 
with its rampart of Egyptian shields, full of booty; 
and the king on his throne, receiving congratu- 
lations after his victory. On the same side of the 
southern tower is a colossal representation of the king 
discharging his arrows on his enemies, their chariots 
flying in dismay, and the king with his falchion on 
the point of sacrificing prisoners (now defaced). 

This propylon led into a beautiful court, with a 
double row of columns, with papyrus bud capitals, on 
the north and south sides, of which six remain; and on 
the east and west sides were Osiride pillars, of which 
eight are still standing, but without their heads. The 
sculpture on the west side of the northern wall of this 
court being protected from the weather, is very well 
preserved, and is extremely spirited and interesting. 
The enemy, with yellow complexions and features, 
very different from the Egyptians, is represented 
flying in their chariots from the victorious Rameses, 
and endeavouring to reach the river, and the protec- 
tion of their infantry drawn up before their fortified 



THE GREAT HALL OF THE MEMNONIUM. 



181 



city to cover their retreat. Some are represented 
drowning in the river, and others imploring mercy. 

This court leads into the great hall, measuring one 
hundred feet by one hundred and thirty-three feet, 
which was ornamented with thirty-eight columns. 
Eleven of the twelve splendid columns, twenty-one 
feet in circumference, which formed the centre avenue,* 
with papyrus or bell-shaped capitals, are still standing; 
and of the eighteen columns, seventeen feet six inches 
in circumference, with bud-shaped capitals, which 
formerly existed on each side of these, twelve on the 
south, and five on the north side, are perfect. 

The papyrus-shaped capitals still retain much of 
their colouring and beautifully painted decorations ; 
and the hall was covered with sculpture, the best that 
can be seen in the valley of the Nile. Some of the 
portraits of the king are very beautiful, especially the 
one on the second column of the centre avenue, 
making offerings to the mummy figured god Pthah. 
The sculpture chiefly represents the king making 
offerings to the god Anum Ra, often here accom- 
panied by the lion-headed goddess, as well as by 
Maut and Khonso. 

On the west side of the east wall of the grand hall 
is another battle-scene. The Egyptians, with ladders 
and the testudo, are besieging a town with battle- 
ments on an eminence. The defence is bravely kept 

* See Vignette, titlepage. 



182 



PICTURESQUE VIEWS. 



up ; some are falling from the battlements, and one 
hanging from them : but resistance being useless, 
they send heralds to the king with presents to beg 
for mercy. The battle-scenes represent this king's 
expeditions to Palestine. Bunsen (vol. iii., p. 178) 
thinks as far as Lebanon and Mesopotamia, but Ka- 
nana (Canaan) is the only name clearly identified. 

The sculpture is very striking on the west wall of 
the hall, though the heads of the king and Amun Ra 
are sadly injured by the clumsy way plaster casts 
have been taken. The heads in the procession of the 
twenty-three sons of the king are all defaced, though 
the hieroglyphics still remain. 

The great hall leads into a chamber decorated with 
eight columns, which still support the roof, on the 
ceiling of which is an astronomical subject. The 
Egyptian months are represented, and the rising of the 
dog-star under the figure of Isis-Sothis.* On the 
west wall of this room is a beautiful group of sculp- 
ture, representing the king in the Persia tree, and 
the goddess of letters writing his name ; and on the 
eastern wall are sacred arks borne in procession by 
the priests. This room leads into the last chamber, in 
which four columns are standing. 

The side walls of this beautiful temple being de- 
stroyed, the columns are seen to great advantage, 
and the effects of light and shadow are often very 

* See Handbook. 



THE COLOSSAL STATUES. 



183 



fine. The artist could not wish for a more noble sub- 
ject for his pencil, with the grand western mountain in 
the distance. 

The celebrated colossal statues, formerly sixty feet, 
and now fifty -three feet above the level of the soil, 
are seen not only from every part of this side of the 
river, but also from every eminence on the opposite 
bank. It is strange to see them standing on the 
immense and tenantless plain, and especially, as I have 
seen them, at the time of the inundation, surrounded 
with the waters of the Nile, which for centuries have 
annually washed their feet, isolated from every habi- 
tation of man, sole monuments of a magnificent 
dromos, adorned with other statues almost as imposing 
as these, which led from the river to the temples of 
the western suburb. 

They are made of a hard gritstone, marked with 
black and red oxide of iron, and are represented 
seated on thrones. The form of the head remaining on 
one can be seen, but not a lineament made out. The 
northern statue, called by the Arabs Salamat (saluta- 
tion), is the celebrated vocal statue of Memnon, 
which had the wonderful property of uttering a melo- 
dious sound every morning at sunrise, like the break- 
ing of the string of a harp when it is wound up ; while 
at the setting of the sun, or at night, the sound was 
lugubrious. 

The sides of the thrones are ornamented with 



184 THE VOCAL STATUE OF MEMNON. 



figures, representing the god Nilus binding up a pe- 
destal, over which was the name of the king, Amunoph 
III., the Phamenoph of Pausanias, who erected 
them. Outside the legs, attached to the throne, are 
statues of his wife and mother, and between them the 
remains of another statue. 

Numerous Greek inscriptions, recording the visit 
of the Emperor Hadrian and others, many of which I 
copied on my first visit to Thebes, prove beyond doubt 
that this was the vocal statue of Memnon. The dis- 
coveries in hieroglyphics have now as clearly ascer- 
tained that the Memnon of the Greeks was the king 
Amunoph III. of the eighteenth dynasty of the Egyp- 
tians, who reigned about the end of the fourteenth 
century, B.C. When this statue had been destroyed 
to the throne by the earthquake of B.C. 27, or by 
Cambyses, as the inscriptions state — or by a more vin- 
dictive Ptolemy, as the Handbook suggests — it was re- 
paired with layers of sand-stone, and a hollow was 
left, in which, as Sir G. Wilkinson has I think clearly 
made out, the artful priests might, by striking me- 
tallic stones, easily produce the sounds described. 

The mounds of Christian ruins surrounding the 
temple of Medeenet Haboo, from their elevated position, 
are seen distinctly not only from the colossal statues 
but also from almost every part of the plain of 
Thebes. They may easily be visited the same day as 
the ruins I have described, being only a sh^ Wit. 



VJEW OF THE SITE OF THEBES. 



185 



hour's ride from the statues, but as the attractions of 
society and the market often lead travellers to Luxor, 
I will describe my visit from there in December. A 
pleasant breeze took us across the river in a quarter 
of an hour, but, as the inundation had not subsided, 
we could not go direct to the ruins, but were obliged 
to go round by the village of Esbi Tamrarty. 

The approach to Medeenet Haboo is very imposing : 
the colossal statues on our right ; the ruins, having 
for a background the finest portion of the western 
mountain, so grand in its form, always broken, honey- 
combed with innumerable tombs, and many portions 
of it perpendicular ; the mounds of earth which are 
supposed to have anciently formed an Acherusian 
lake, over which the boats, so often represented on 
the walls of the tombs, carried the deceased to their 
last resting-place, in a kind of palanquin, fortunately 
found by Mr. Ehind, in a tomb he opened ; and the 
little hamlet of Kom el Beirat, with a great number 
of Sheakhs' tombs, with their white domes, mingled 
with acacias, with, except towards the north, a com- 
plete amphitheatre of distant hills, formed not only a 
beautiful view, but impressed us deeply that the 
site of Thebes was, indeed, worthy of the renowned 
city. 

We had to cross a canal full of water, and another 
small one, with a very roughly constructed passage 
of stones, but, after sticking in the mud several times, 



186 



RUINS OF MEDEENET HABOO. 



an hour's ride brought us to the temple. The inun- 
dation had this year reached the mounds of Christian 
houses which surround these ruins. 

Passing, on our left, the battlemented pavilion, or 
palace, of Eameses III., we entered, by a pylon, 
greatly destroyed, a court, which had never been 
finished, of the small temple. Two fine columns with 
Ptolemaic capitals, ornament the doorway which 
leads from this court into a corridor before the second 
pylon, which is nearly perfect. Over the doorway is 
a beautiful winged globe and serpents, retaining al- 
most all their colouring. The sculpture, and especi- 
ally the hieroglyphics, representing the king making 
offerings to the gods, is very indifferent. This leads 
into a corridor, and afterwards a small hypaethral 
court, in which there are fragments of eight columns, 
with screens between them. 

The part we have hitherto described was the work 
of the Romans, but this court is interesting, having 
been built by Tirhaka, the Ethiopian Pharaoh, 
whose victories over Sennacherib are recorded in the 
Bible, another proof, if any were wanting, that an 
Ethiopian dynasty did reign over the lower as well as 
the upper valley of the Nile. This court leads into 
another undecorated with sculpture, but a large frag- 
ment of granite encumbering it, and the granite slab 
of the side doorway show that it was once highly 
finished. 



THE RESIDENCE OF THE KING. 



187 



This leads to the original or isolated sanctuary. 
The faqade is extremely simple, consisting of a low 
screen and four square pillars, sustaining the archi- 
trave and cornice. Rameses III.'s name is carved on 
the faqade in deeply-cut hieroglyphics, a striking 
contrast to the hieroglyphics of the Romans. Three 
similar square pillars sustain the roof on each side 
of the temple ; but what are most deserving attention 
are the four polygonal columns, with circular bases 
and square slabs for capitals. No one could see these, 
as well as the similar columns at Beni Hassan, and 
not be convinced that the Egyptians, and not the 
Greeks, are the inventors of what is called the Doric 
column. The corridors lead into inner sanctuaries, 
which partly retain their roof. The names of Thoth- 
mes II. and III., who reigned 1463 B.C., are on the 
columns and every part of this little temple. 

We then visited the pavilion, or residence of the 
king. The pyramidal towers, with battlements in the 
form of shields, and plain modern-shaped windows, 
are different from anything of the kind to be seen in 
Egypt, and give us a good idea of the residences of 
the builders of these splendid temples. The view at 
the entrance is very striking — the two towers rising 
on each side, with recesses in the centre, which afford 
splendid masses of shadow. There are only small 
openings, or windows, in the side towers, but large 
ones in the centre tower, which connects them. At 



188 THE GREAT TEMPLE AT MEDEENET HABOO. 

the entrance of the latter are two seated lion-headed 
goddesses, with disks on their heads. Every por- 
tion of the facade of this pavilion is covered with 
sculpture. 

On the two towers are colossal representations of 
Eameses III., with his falchion raised high, about 
to sacrifice prisoners to the gods, Amun Ra and Ee. 
The sculpture and hieroglyphics are so deeply en- 
graven, that the portion at the top of the high centre 
part may be seen and read from the base. I was too 
infirm to climb to where the king is represented with 
his harem playing drafts. 

This pavilion leads through a court to vast propyla, 
greatly injured. Here again it is impossible not to be 
struck with the depth of the hieroglyphics. The back 
of the propyla being partly cleared, exhibits a portion 
of a battle scene. Eameses, in his car, is drawing his 
bow and overwhelming his enemies, a bearded people, 
who are falling dead at his feet. This second court, 
a hundred and ten feet by one hundred and thirty-five, 
was decorated on the right, or north, side, by seven 
Osiride columns, of which fragments only remain, and 
on the other side by as many columns with papyrus, 
or bell-shaped, capitals, the tops only of which are 
now visible. On the wall of the corridor formed by 
the Osiride columns, the king is in his chariot with 
an attendant, and again in his chariot conducting 
prisoners. The priests welcome him with salutations 



THE GRAND COURT. 



189 



and offerings of the lotus-flower, and conduct him on 
foot into the presence of the god, Amun Ra, behind 
whom are Maut and Khonso. Long lines of hiero- 
glyphic inscriptions tell the tale of his victory. As 
the priest of Sais is reputed to have said to Solon : 
" Whatever happens among us, or in any other place 
that we know anything about, anything beautiful, 
or great, or important in any way, all is recorded 
in our temples, from the earliest times, and so has 
been preserved." * 

The faqade of the injured propyla, leading from 
this court into what deserves, from its richness, to be 
called the grand court, is ornamented on the south 
side with colossal sculpture, representing the king 
leading prisoners to Amun. The propyla lead into 
the most beautiful court in the valley of the Mle. 
It is not so magnificent as the great hall of Karnak, 
but for the remains of colouring, and its richness, 
and interesting sculptures, it is unequalled by any 
other ruin in Egypt. The corridor which surrounds 
it is sustained, on the east and west sides, by eight 
square massive pillars, which supported Osiride 
statues, of which fragments only remain ; and, on the 
north and south sides, there were originally four columns, 
with the plain bud-shaped capital, but two were de- 
stroyed on the north side, when the court was changed 
into a Christian temple, the only remains of which 

* " Egypt's Place in History," vol. iv., p. 464. 



190 THE CORONATION OF THE KING. 



are the monolithic granite columns which encumber 
the centre of the court. Thirty years ago there were 
far more remains of colouring in this splendid court, 
but even now the azure roof of the corridor, studded 
with yellow stars, and the colouring on the capitals 
of the columns, give us some idea of the brilliant 
gorgeous effect of Egyptian decoration. 

On the north side the sculpture represents the 
coronation of the king. His twelve sons bear him 
on his shrine, before which a pontiff bears incense, 
and the figures of Truth and Justice, with out- 
stretched wings, protect him. Officers carrying fla- 
bella, which remind us of the popes in the proces- 
sions in St. Peter's, and scribes, priests, fan-bearers, 
and soldiers bearing insignia, swell the procession, 
which is enlivened by a band of instrumental music 
and choristers. The king, alighted from his chariot, offi- 
ciates before the statue of Amun Khem, which is borne 
on a palanquin, accompanied by officers and priests, 
some carrying the altar of the deity, and before the 
statue is the sacred bull. Below is a procession of 
arks, and the gods Seth and Hor Hat pouring the 
emblems of life and purity over the king. The king 
seated on the lotus flower, with the same gods on 
each side, is an interesting group. 

Some of the divinities, thanks to the Christians 
covering the walls with cement, are less injured, and 
retain much more of their colouring than is now gene- 



BATTLE SCENES. 



191 



rally seen on the walls of the temples. Besides other 
sculptures representing the processions and cere- 
monies of the Egyptians, on the west side of one of 
the towers, that is, on the eastern wall, and on the 
south walls also of this court, are historical subjects. 
Kameses, in his car, is discharging his arrows at the 
Eebo, his defeated foes ; other chariots assist him, 
and their allies, the Gaikkrui, make prisoners, who are 
reckoned by thousands, and cut off the hands of the 
slain, and place them in heaps of three thousand 
each, before the king seated in his chariot. The 
lands of Tamah and Tehen are mentioned as the 
hostile countries, and the inscription states that the 
king passed over a river.* Rameses, in solemn pro- 
cession, presents his prisoners to the gods Amun Ea 
and Maut, who congratulate him on his victory. 
Long tablets of hieroglyphics relate the history of the 
war. 

This interesting sculpture is much injured, but all 
will admire the different representations of the king, 
and especially the spirited manner the horses are exe- 
cuted, and the deep-cut hieroglyphics, as if they were 
engraved for eternity ; but art had already begun to 
decay, and these sculptures are inferior in grace and 
beauty to the sculptures of the time of Kameses II., 
who ascended his throne a century earlier. 

The rest of this temple was, until very recently, * 

* See Bunsen, 111-210. 



192 



RECENT EXCAVATIONS. 



almost entirely filled with earth and crude bricks, and 
we should be grateful to the government for having 
cleared it, if they had not thrown a great portion 
of the rubbish on the north side of the temple, cover- 
ing parts of the most interesting sculpture in the valley 
of the Nile, so that the loss exceeds the gain. The hall 
the grand court leads into, cleared now to the stone 
floor, was decorated with twenty-four columns, which are 
standing to the height of from six to eight feet from 
their circular bases, all bearing the name of Rameses. 
Between the first and second columns of the centre 
avenue are pedestals, doubtless for statues of the king. 
The lower row of sculpture thus lately discovered, be- 
ginning on the left side, represents Horus and Thoth 
introducing the king to Amun Ra, and the king 
making offerings to Kneph and the lion-headed 
goddess. 

On the south side the king on his knees is pre- 
senting offerings to Amun Ra, behind whom are Maut, 
Khonso, and Thoth, counting on a graduated staff, 
the panegyries of the king. Passing a door leading 
into side rooms, the king is represented making offer- 
ings to Amun, Maut, and Khonso. On the right 
side Amun Ra, seated with Khonso behind him, 
is giving a falchion to the king, who is making him 
offerings. Then the same god is represented giving 
the king flowers of the papyrus, emblems of the do- 
minion of Egypt ; and Horus, and I think Thoth (but 



NEWLY DISCOVERED ROOMS. 



193 



both faces and hieroglyphics are defaced) are pouring 
over the king a chain of the emblems of life and 
purity. 

The sculpture on the north side of the hall is unin- 
teresting, and broken by five entrances into chambers. 
Between two of these entrances the king is repre- 
sented embracing Khonso. In three of these five 
rooms the sculpture only represents offerings to the 
gods. The fourth contains a fragment of a large 
sacred ark, and on the opposite side Thoth is seated 
receiving offerings of vases from the king. 

In the lowest row, on the right of the fifth room, are 
represented four enormous fat bullocks, and above, I 
think the slaughtering of one, but it is much defaced. 
This room has a small column in the centre, and a 
door leading into a narrow chamber where there are 
gazelles and other animals depicted on the walls. On 
the south side of the hall are two doors. The western 
one leads into a room where there is a sacred ark, but 
unfortunately seven holes on each side this room, as if 
for beams, injure the sculpture. At each end of the 
ark is a human head, bearing the helmets of the upper 
and lower country, and a horned globe and serpents. In 
the ark is a shrine, and figures bearing a large fan, . 
emblems of truth, and a vulture over a large papyrus. 
The king is making offerings before the shrine. 

On the west side of this room the king is making 
offerings of incense and libations to the Theban triad, 

o 



194 



COLOURED SCULPTURE. 



and at the end of the room to Amun Ea. The 
eastern door leads into four rooms, three were dark, 
and iu the fourth the king was making offerings to 
Kneph. 

This hall leads into a room which was ornamented 
with eight columns, now truncated in the same manner 
as those of the hall ; and apparently behind this 
chamber was another ornamented with four columns, 
which led into the sanctuary, but this part of the 
temple is not cleared out, though a fragment of a 
stone wall shows that there were no other rooms. 
On an architrave is an interesting representation of 
an ark, with Atmoo in a shrine ; and in the ark are 
Thoth, Sate, and Horus, and at each end the king on 
his knees, with four cynocephali behind him. The 
colouring of the sculpture in these end rooms is re- 
markably fresh, and worth observing. 

The sculpture of the exterior of this temple is sadly 
injured, as I have said, by their depositing there the 
rubbish taken from the interior, but it is still most in- 
teresting. At the west end of the north wall of the 
exterior, Kameses in his chariot, attended by fan- 
bearers and a lion, advances with his troops ; the 
Rebo wait his attack ; chariots and archers rush into 
battle, the Rebo are defeated, and heaps of tongues 
are among the trophies of the victory. Again, 
Eameses with his army, accompanied by his allies, the 
Shairetana, with round bucklers and spears, advances 



NAVAL ENGAGEMENT. 



195 



against another Asiatic enemy, who are routed, 
their chariots flying at full speed, and the women and 
children escaping in plaustra denote they are driven 
from their own country. The king pursuing them 
through a morass, is attacked by lions ; two he kills 
with arrows, and one he is on the point of killing with 
his spear, the lions and horses admirably drawn. 

Below are the Egyptian troops and their allies. The 
enemy having taken refuge in their boats, we have 
now a naval engagement ; one of the enemy's boats 
is represented upset, and the Egyptians, again victo- 
rious, are rescuing some from a watery grave. The 
king with his archers shoots at them from the shore, 
while his chariot and attendants, beautifully drawn, 
await his return. 

The subject below this, representing prisoners and 
amputated hands, is now covered. Eameses then distri- 
butes rewards to his victorious troops, and conducts 
the captive Rebo and Tokkari to the Theban triad. An- 
other subject, east of the second propylon, represented 
the king taking forts and towns, but mounds of rubbish 
prevent almost any part of it being distinguished, 
except the king in his chariot, accompanied by other 
chariots. About two hundred yards south of these 
ruins is a very small Ptolemaic temple, only important 
from the hieroglyphic titles of some of the Ptolemies 
and their queens. 

o 2 



196 



CHAPTER X. 

The Temple of Dayr el Bahree — Ride through the Valley of Assaseef — 
Tomb of a Wealthy Priest — The Great Western Mountain — Gra- 
nite Pylon of ThothmesIII. — Egyptian Knowledge of the Arch — 
The Pasha's Excavations — The Author forbidden to take a Note of 
Certain Sculptures — Beautiful Remains of Coloured Decorations 
— A Small, but Beautiful, Excavated Temple — Representations 
of King Thothmes and the Goddess Athor — Private Tombs of 
Thebes — Destruction caused by Arabs and Travellers — Interest- 
ing Tombs- — Tomb 35 — Its Inhabitants — Interesting Paintings 
on the Walls — Representations of Arts and Trades — Pictures 
illustrative of Brick-making — Tomb of the Time of Thothmes I. — 
Tombs of Egyptian Kings and Queens — Magnitude of the Tombs 
— Their Appearance when lighted — Destruction of the Paintings 
— Belzoni's Tomb, No. 14 — Inclined Gallery — Extraordinary and 
Interesting Decorations — -Sculptures representing the Mysterious 
Ceremonies of the Dead — The Tomb of Rameses III. — Galleries 
and Niches for Royal Mummies — Decorations representing Boats, 
Arms, and Trades of the Ancient Egyptians — Tomb of Ra- 
meses IV. 

It is about twenty minutes' ride from the bank 
of the river, opposite the village of Koorneh, to the 
commencement of the excavations, and about half 
an hour's ride further to the Temple of Dayr el 



TOMBS OF THE ASSASEEF. 197 

Bahree, or the Northern Convent, having probably 
been appropriated to that purpose by the Christians. 
This half-hour's ride through the valley of the Assa- 
seef is one of the most remarkable in Egypt. The 
path winds through hundreds of excavated tombs, 
some of great size. One of a wealthy priest, is the 
largest in the valley of the Nile. The area of the 
actual excavation of it, comprising the chambers of 
the pit, is computed to be 23,809 square feet, and 
the ground it occupies is said to be an acre and a 
quarter (see Handbook). Formerly I explored and 
measured every portion of it, but this, and the other 
tombs of the Assaseef, many of them formerly so in- 
teresting, are now so destroyed that they are not 
worth the great inconvenience of visiting them. Be- 
sides the innumerable tombs on our right and left, 
there were remains of pylons and ancient brick build- 
ings, and traces of an avenue which led up to the 
temple, and at the extremity of the valley the Great 
Western Mountain, boldly and picturesquely broken, 
rises perfectly perpendicular and inaccessible. The 
granite pylon, bearing the name of Thothmes III., 
substituted for that of an earlier king, and his dedi- 
cation of the temple to Amun, is still standing, lead- 
ing to the entrance of the temple. 

Near it will be observed two specimens of arches, 
one pointed, formed of large stones leaning against 
each other, the other circular in shape, formed of ap- 



198 



EGYPTIAN KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARCH. 



proaching stones, which I published in my travels in 
Ethiopia, as well as one of the regularly constructed 
brick arches, so numerous on the plain and in the 
tombs of Thebes, which have at last satisfied the 
most sceptical, that the Egyptians were acquainted, 
at least as early as fifteen centuries B.C., with the 
use and advantages of the arch. The entrance to the 
temple, which is excavated in the rock, is now 
covered with rubbish. Though I could not see the 
interior of this excavated temple, which, I recollect, 
contained little of importance, I was more than com- 
pensated by the discoveries which recent excavators 
have made. 

A court, still uncleared, but containing fragments 
of polygonal columns, leads to the beautiful wall 
of a temple cut in the rock. About forty Arabs 
were clearing this temple for Signor Marietti, the 
Pasha's superintendent of his excavations ; and 
the head man of the party forcibly prevented 
my taking a note of the exquisite sculpture which 
adorns that part of the temple. Signor Marietti, 
wishing to be the first to publish these interesting 
sculptures, had, probably, forbid their being drawn 
without the authority of the Pasha, and his Arab 
deputy had not the sense to know the difference be- 
tween a note and a drawing. 

The sculpture contained representations of sacred 
arks ; the King Kameses II. making offerings; Horus 



RECENT EXCAVATIONS. 



199 



weighing them ; plants in vases ; sycamore trees ; 
heaps of grain, Thoth taking an account of them ; 
beautiful groups of cattle ; panthers and giraffes ; 
elegant boats with little cabins, one with fourteen 
rowers, and another with seven ; the river well de- 
picted, and in it a most interesting collection of all 
the fish of the Nile. For the remains of colour and 
the elegance of the style, these sculptures are almost 
unrivalled in the valley of the Nile. The rock on 
which they are executed slopes inwards, and in the 
court before it are fragments of fourteen square 
pillars. 

A little further south is another small but beauti- 
ful excavated temple. The faqade is richly decorated 
with sculpture, representing, on both sides of the en- 
trance into the interior, King Thothmes feeding the 
cow Athor. A court in front of the faqade is partly 
cleared, and contains fragments of polygonal columns, 
and on the rocks at the side are beautiful boats. In 
the first room of the interior are two polygonal 
columns, with square capitals, and without sculpture. 
On the right, on entering, Thothmes II. is making 
offerings to Athor, and this divinity is also repre- 
sented on the other walls. On the left, on entering, 
the lion-headed goddess is addressing the king, wear- 
ing the head-dress of two feathers, the attributes of 
Aniun Ea. Over a doorway, leading into a small 
room, are four rows, each consisting of five different 



200 



TEMPLE OF ATHOR. 



divinities, seated with plain head-dresses. The hiero- 
glyphics are much defaced, but I recognised the 
names of Athor, Seb, and Neith, 

This front room leads into another small one, con- 
taining on each side a beautiful representation of the 
cow Athor, painted red, seated in her boat, the 
emblems of life, purity, and stability sustaining it, 
and before it the king is represented making rich 
offerings. This room leads into an arched sanctuary. 
The stones are cut in the shape of an arch, but 
meet in the centre. On each side of this room is a 
representation of the cow Athor, and Thothmes kneel- 
ing between its hind legs, and, with his mouth, milk- 
ing the cow. The same king is here also represented 
making offerings to the cow. At the end of the sanctuary 
Thothmes is represented between Athor and a di- 
vinity, with the head-dress of four feathers, hierogly- 
phics now defaced, receiving the cross, or sign of life. 
There are very small rooms leading out of the sanc- 
tuary, and four recesses in the room leading into it, 
without sculpture. One of the side rooms contains a 
representation of Amun Ra on his throne, and a figure 
of the king much defaced. Horus is seen on the left, 
and Athor on the right, with offerings before them. 

The corresponding room on the north side is much 
blackened, but Amun Ra and other divinities may be 
distinguished. In the two little side rooms leading 
out of the front room the king is represented making 



DESTRUCTION OF THE PRIVATE TOMBS. 201 



offerings to different divinities, but they are much in- 
jured. In no temple in Egypt is there so much of 
the colouring remaining. Besides the beautiful repre- 
sentations of the king, and the divinities, the hiero- 
glyphics, with their various and brilliant tints, on a 
bluish grey ground, the azure roof with red stars, 
the elegant decorations, especially over the door 
leading into the inner rooms, representing lofty thin 
pilasters, with Athor-headed capitals, and the elegant 
proportions of the excavation itself, must excite the 
admiration of every lover of art. 

The private tombs in and near the western moun- 
tain of Thebes were formerly rich in subjects illus- 
trating the manners and customs of the ancient Egyp- 
tians, but the Arabs, who have made them their habi- 
tations, and travellers, have destroyed the most in- 
teresting. Except No. 35, there is scarcely one 
remaining worth seeing of the numerous tombs I 
recollect thirty years ago.* Even the poorest Arab 
desires the seclusion of his harem, and would scarcely 
think himself indemnified for his privacy being dis- 
turbed by the little presents travellers make when 
they visit the tombs. 

A hundred, and sometimes a hundred and fifty 
boats with travellers visit Thebes almost every 

* The literary world is immeasurably indebted to Wilkinson and 
others who have recorded, in their invaluable works, the most inte- 
resting pictures of these tombs. 



202 



EGYPTIAN COLOURING. 



season ; and the demand for antiquities is so great, 
and the prices given for such as there can be no 
doubt about, are so high, the temptation is 
irresistible to the poor Arabs. The sculptures they 
manage to cut from the walls are almost always of 
little or no value, being without the hieroglyphics, 
and, from their defective tools, it is certain the Arabs 
destroy ten times more than they sell ; but until 
travellers refuse to buy sculptures taken from the 
walls, the work of destruction will go on, and no 
tombs will be worth seeing except those recently 
opened, which are not yet destroyed, and have also 
the advantage of retaining their colouring almost as 
vivid as when first erected. 

Egyptian sculpture can never be thoroughly under- 
stood and appreciated without seeing it with the rich 
and harmonious colouring which always accompanied 
it. It is only by a visit to the excavations, especially 
to those recently made, that we can understand what 
must have been the effect of the temples when gorge- 
ously decorated. 

Gentlemen travelling for their respective govern- 
ments have sadly aided this work of destruction, and 
though they may have done it more judiciously, and 
flatter themselves they have preserved the spoils for 
their museums, the example they have set is a dan- 
gerous one for the Arabs, especially in the tombs of 
the kings, which had always been respected. 



PRIVATE TOMBS. 



203 



I will mention briefly a few tombs still interesting, 
which may be seen in one excursion. The tombs 
generally consist of a doorway leading into a tran- 
sept, or a narrow chamber, and a much smaller 
chamber leading from opposite the doorway into an 
inner chamber; but in riding among the excavations, 
numerous tombs will be seen with spacious courts 
before them, walled round with solid brick-work. 

Before arriving at the valley of the Assaseef, there is 
a tomb, opened four years ago, containing a representa- 
tion of a garden, and females playing instruments of 
music, and Osiris and Anubis represented on their 
thrones. On the opposite side are rich offerings to Osiris 
on his throne ; three interesting boats and offerings of 
animals and various pieces of cabinet work to the 
gentleman and lady of the tomb. The hieroglyphics 
are all painted, but the style of the sculpture is not 
very good. A tomb excavated three years ago is 
situated a little beyond what is called the Greek's 
house (where I lived six months). Boats are repre- 
sented, and an agricultural scene much injured; cattle 
treading out the grain, and figures reaping. A great 
feast is also depicted. A number of women are seated 
with lotus-flowers in their hands, while others are 
giving them drink, putting necklaces round their 
necks, and playing on harps and lyres for their 
amusement. 

On the other side are offerings of beautiful gar- 



204 THE MOST INTERESTING PRIVATE TOMB. 

lands and geese to the gentleman and his lady. At 
the end of the chamber is a representation of a granite 
shrine with inscriptions of hieroglyphics, and at the 
opposite end the remains of a similar shrine, now de- 
stroyed, as is also the sculpture in the little room 
leading out of the chamber. The decorations of the 
roof and walls of the first room are very beautiful, 
and the colouring as fresh as if executed recently. 

A short distance beyond this tomb is one that 
has been long opened, and is now so ruined it is 
scarcely worth visiting. The sculptures represent 
men shooting with bows and arrows, and a variety of 
animals. Adjoining this tomb is another, sadly in- 
jured, but still containing beautiful sculpture, repre- 
senting chariots, women making lamentations, and the 
portraits and names of Amunoph III. The narrow 
passage from the usual transept, or first chamber, 
leads to two seated figures, and another transept, in 
which are also two figures. Destroyed as the sculp- 
ture is, Osiris may still be seen on his throne. 

No. 35 is, as the Handbook states, by far the most 
curious of all the private tombs in Thebes, since it 
throws more light on the manners and customs of the 
Egyptians than any hitherto discovered. On my first 
visit to Egypt, I worked for two months several hours 
a day in this tomb, drawing the grand procession in the 
first chamber, and a complete section, in sixteen large 
drawings, of the long inner chamber. It was no 



GRAND PROCESSION. 



205 



slight labour ; the only aperture to the large tomb 
was the small doorway. 

In the first chamber an Arab family lived, and in the 
other a cow. The atmosphere, as may be conceived, 
was so oppressive that I could not bear it for more 
than two or three hours at a time. On my last visit 
to Thebes I found these interesting paintings so faded 
that I determined to publish my drawings, especially 
as a complete section of an Egyptian tomb has never 
been given. I intended to have enriched this volume 
with these interesting subjects, but the only artist in 
England who is able to draw them on stone is unfor- 
tunately too much occupied to undertake them. 

To the left, on entering the tomb, is the grand 
procession of Ethiopians and Asiatics presenting 
offerings to Thothmes III., which I published in 
colours, in my travels in Ethiopia. In the first 
row some are a dark people from the south, and 
their offerings are of ivory, ebony, skins, ani- 
mals, and ostrich eggs and feathers. In the second 
row are represented a light red people of Kufa, 
with hair dressed in ringlets, whose presents 
of vases rival the vases of the Greeks in form 
and richness. In the third row are Ethiopians bring- 
ing also ebony, ivory, skins, ostrich eggs and feathers, 
gold in rings, ingots, and bags, a camelopard, a leo- 
pard, apes, oxen, and dogs, very similar to one I 
bought in Ethiopia, 



206 



FIGURES MAKING BRICKS. 



In the fourth row the Bot-n-no, clad in long white 
garments, are evidently from the north, with their 
sandy hair, beards, and long white gloves. They 
also present vases and ivory, an elephant, a bear, and 
a chariot and horses. In the lowest row are the 
wives of the Ethiopians and Asiatics. The accumu- 
lation of presents is the richest to be seen in the 
tombs of Egypt, but the colours are now faded. 

The inner chamber has a singular roof, ascending 
towards the end. The arts and trades represented 
on the left side are most interesting. The making 
bricks will excite great interest, for though there is 
no proof that the men are the Israelites, yet it is re- 
markable that in a tomb illustrating the occupations 
of the Egyptians of the time of Thothmes III., in 
whose reign the Exodus is supposed to have taken 
place, a people painted yellow, quite different from 
the Egyptians, are thus represented. They are the 
only yellow or northern people in this chamber, ex- 
cept one making a vase. At the pond represented, 
surrounded with cypresses, a figure will be seen fetch- 
ing water. Six figures closely adjoining are mixing 
the mud with hoes, carrying it away, and two men 
above are moulding it into bricks. Below are men 
carrying bricks, and the taskmasters with sticks in 
their hands. 

There are other interesting subjects ; sculptors 
are levelling and squaring stones, making a sphinx, 



DIFFERENT TRADES. 



207 



and a colossal statue of the king. The curriers making 
leather thongs for the sandals are well represented. 
A skin is hanging up to denote the trade ; a man 
with a knife is cutting a piece of leather of a circular 
form into thongs, in a way that showed they under- 
stood the circular cut. Two men are twisting the 
thongs together, and another with his awl is preparing 
a sandal for the thong. Men are represented heating 
a liquid over a fire, kept up with bellows worked 
with the feet. Their knowledge of the use of glue 
appears from their melting it over a fire, and men 
spreading it and putting together different coloured 
woods. 

Then there are carpenters and upholsterers making 
a hole in the seat of a chair with a drill, and polish- 
ing the legs, and long processions of men carrying 
boxes and cabinets of great taste. There are also 
men cutting up cattle, and very elegant boats. 

On the right side of the chamber is represented a 
feast, men and women sitting apart, females giving 
them wine (of which, from other tombs, we learn the 
Egyptian ladies sometimes took too much), and music 
is provided for the entertainment. At the end of 
this side is a beautiful garden, and in the centre a 
pond surrounded with palms. The gentleman of the 
tomb is represented in a boat, towed by his servants. 

A terrible climb, for an invalid, up the mountain, 
led me to an interesting tomb, bearing the name of 



208 



THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 



Thothmes I., discovered five years ago. In the tran- 
sept, which is almost entirely destroyed, are the gen- 
tleman and lady of the tomb, negroes carrying their 
children in baskets, and various rich offerings : vases, 
animals, ivory, ebony, plants, ingots of silver, and 
scribes taking an account of them. On the opposite 
wall are represented dom and palm-trees, and a lake 
with a house, built of square masses of stone, with 
eight windows visible, almost all of modern shape. 
On the other is a variety of cattle, and the roof is 
beautifully decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions. 
The inner chamber is almost destroyed, but several 
boats may be distinguished. 

The tombs of the queens are now, they say, not 
worth visiting, but there are more private tombs worth 
seeing than those I have mentioned. As they are al- 
most all dirty, being generally occupied by Arab 
families, a few will satisfy travellers, who should, 
however, take care to visit those recently opened. 

The tombs of the kings — Bab el Molook, the Gate 
of the Kings— are about an hour's ride from the bank 
opposite Koorneh, through a wild, and, in some parts, 
picturesque valley. About a dozen candles should be 
taken, more being requisite than in the private tombs. 
I lighted them up once with fifty, and the effect was 
very fine ; but so many lights, and the number of 
people required to carry them, increase the heat, which, 
though it did not annoy me then, or prevent my 



SYMBOLISM OF THE TOMBS OF THE KING. 209 

drawing there for hours on my first visit to the Nile, 
when I was well, affected me so much during my 
last visit, that I was quite unable to visit many I 
should have liked to see again. Invalids who intend 
to examine them minutely, should take their wine- 
flask in their pockets, but even the most delicate 
should not allow themselves to be deterred by the cer- 
tainly unpromising-looking entrances of some of them. 
The tombs of the kings are the marvel of the Nile ; 
our astonishment, and almost incredulity, at such 
mountains of masonry as the great Pyramids of Gee- 
zeh being erected for the sepulchre of one little mor- 
tal man, though that mortal was a Pharaoh, is dimin- 
ished when we see, at Thebes, a private tomb so 
large and so richly decorated as No. 35, a priest's, 
in the Assaseef, as I have stated, occupying nearly 
an acre and a quarter, and the great extent, above 
three hundred and fifty feet, of some of these sepul- 
chres. More than seventeen known to the Ptole- 
mies are now open, but few are really worth 
seeing.* 

* " An Egyptian king was," says Rosellini,* u the type of the Sun 
in Heaven ; Sun, or Phre, was the principal and ordinary title of 
every king, and the celebrated one of Pharaoh meant, literally, Phre, 
or Sun. From the symbolical resemblance, the life of an Egyptian 
king was compared to the course of the Sun in the higher hemisphere, 
and the setting Sun passing through the stations of the lower worlds 
was the type of a deceased king. One of the most essential points 
of the doctrine of Egyptian psychology consists precisely in the pas- 
sage of the Sun through the stations where the souls separated from 

* " I monumenti dell Egitto e della Nubia — monumenti del Culto," p. 351. 

r 



210 



BELZONl'S TOMB. 



Belzoni's tomb is still the most beautiful and best 
preserved, but, unfortunately, greatly injured since 
my first visit. One of the most splendid pictures in 
it was totally destroyed by a shameful injudicious 
attempt to transfer it to a royal museum; other paint- 
ings are defaced by taking paper impressions of them, 
and the mania of writing names on the walls destroys 
the beautiful uncoloured outlines in one of the cham- 
bers. I can easily suppose such travellers would write 
their names on the frescoes of Raphael in the Vatican, 
if there were no custodi to prevent them. With the 
thoughtlessness of a young traveller, I confess, on my 
first visit to the Nile, I wrote my name on one of the 

their bodies were wandering ; there it beams upon the souls of the 
good, and speaks kindly to them, while it repudiates those of the wicked, 
refusing them the comfort of its light. Hence this vast and compli- 
cated doctrine is found ornamenting the walls of the royal sepulchres. 
There are represented the stations of the god, and his passages in the 
Bari, or sacred boats, of the twelve hours of the day and the twelve 
hours of the night, with the accompanying deities, analogous to those 
in the portico of the temple of Edfoo. There are seen under various 
forms, the souls making their passages through the same stations, the 
genii of those stations who guard the gates, the deities who have 
them in charge, and many other things relating to the legends of the 
Egyptian mythology, among which may chiefly be distinguished the 
perpetual war of Phre and his companions against the gigantic ser- 
pent, Aphophis, the symbol of discord, of confusion, of disorder, of 
eternal chaos, and of indivisible time. It is, in substance, the my- 
thical story of Phre as the source of light, as the president of the 
celestial regions, as the director and divider of time, as the rewarder 
of the good, and punisher of the wicked, which is represented as re- 
sembling the life of the terrestrial Sun of the Pharaoh who had 
governed the two regions of Egypt as Phre rules over the two re- 
gions of Heaven. Such is generally the symbolism of the tombs in 
Bab el Molook." 



RICH COLOURING. 



211 



colossal statues in the interior of Aboo Simbel, and 
was greatly annoyed at what I had done when, 
elsewhere, and especially in this tomb, by the light 
of my illumination, I saw the destructive effect of an 
accumulation of such offences, and was really relieved 
to find on my last visit to the temple that time and 
decay had completely effaced my only offence of that 
description. Those who really care for art, and do 
not wish to have a similar crime on their consciences, 
would do well to record their visit to the Nile on the 
rock at the second cataract, on the top of the Pyra- 
mids, or on such places where it may be done with 
impunity. 

The entrance to Belzoni's tomb, No. 17, is rough, 
and has, apparently, never been ornamented. We 
descended twenty-seven steep steps into an inclined 
gallery, covered with beautiful tablets of hierogly- 
phics relating to King Osirei, or Sethi I., the occu- 
pant of the tomb ; and then descended another stair- 
case of twenty-five steps, on each side of which are 
forty-two representations of Assessors, the Lords of 
Truth, before whom the soul of the deceased justifies 
his life, to a gallery and small chamber, in which is a 
pit, which was supposed to be the end of the tomb. 
The colouring of the roof and walls is very beautiful. 
Among the sculptures may be seen the goddess of 
Truth with outstretched wings, men drawing the 
boats of Kneph, and strange representations of ser- 

p 2 



212 



INTERESTING PROCESSION. 



pents, with wings, and legs of men, and offerings to 
Isis, Osiris, and other divinities. ^Belzoni, observ- 
ing that the wall behind the well gave a hollow sound, 
with a palm-tree for a ram, broke into a splendid hall 
twenty-six feet square, with four square pillars, richly 
decorated. The sculptures are most beautiful, and 
some of the subjects very extraordinary : boats of 
Kneph ; twelve men holding an enormous serpent, 
and between each man is a human head resting on 
the serpent; and opposite is another group of nine men 
with an enormous serpent ; in the corner near it is 
a most interesting procession, representing the four 
different people of the world known to the Egyptians. 
The four red figures are the Egyptians themselves ; 
the next four are a white people, with blue eyes, beard, 
and bushy hair bound with braid ; their dresses short, 
like those of the Egyptians, but striped red, blue, and 
white — these are supposed to represent people of the 
North ; four negroes, admirably depicted, represent 
the South ; and the other four white people, with 
blue eyes, and beards, and gay, long, flowing robes, 
the East-Asiatics. It is deeply to be deplored that 
these figures are now almost entirely deprived of their 
colouring by travellers taking paper impressions of 
them ; and that another subject, the most gorgeous 
in this room, has been destroyed by a distinguished 
traveller. These four nations are represented in other 
tombs, with variations. 



SCULPTURES TAKEN AWAY. 213 

Four steps lead from this hull into another, thirty 
feet by twenty-seven feet, in the centre of which are 
two square columns. This hall has never been 
coloured, and shows us how the Egyptians made their 
drawings in a bold and masterly style with red lines, 
which were corrected in black. These spirited draw- 
ings, especially those on the columns, must excite the 
admiration of every draughtsman. The sculptures 
represent sacred arks and figures, with serpents on 
their heads. 

Returning to the first hall, seventeen steps lead 
from it into an inclined gallery, eighteen paces long, 
at the entrance of which was a fine group, taken 
away by another collector for a royal museum, where 
the colours soon lost all their brilliancy. Descend- 
ing three steps, we then passed through a gallery ten 
paces long, into a small room which leads into the grand 
hall, much injured, sustained by six square pillars. The 
sculptures, especially at the end, where they are less in- 
jured, are very beautiful, representing different divi- 
nities, mummies, and mysterious ceremonies of the 
dead ; the descent of the deceased to Amenti, his 
purification by fire and sacrifice, and reception by Osi- 
ris, assisted by other divinities. The ground colour of 
the wall is yellow, which gives it a very rich appear- 
ance. On the right of this grand hall is a small 
room, ir vvhich is a representation of a yellow cow, 
with black horns, and attendants. This grand hall 



214 



bruce's tomb. 



leads into another chamber, sustained by two square 
pillars, ornamented with beautiful sculpture, and 
round this chamber is a raised bench. The sculp- 
tures relating to the ceremonies of the dead are very 
curious. A variety of animals are seen, a croco- 
dile on an island, serpents vomiting fire, and human 
sacrifices. 

The grand hall leads into another large and unfinished 
chamber, and under the vaulted part of this hall 
stood the alabaster sarcophagus, at the end of an in- 
clined gallery, which, when Belzoni opened the tomb, 
is said to have extended three hundred feet further. The 
Handbook states the total length of the sepulchre to 
where the sarcophagus stood to be three hundred and 
twenty feet, and its perpendicular depth ninety 
feet. 

No. 11, the tomb of Eameses III., or Brace's 
tomb, is very interesting. A gallery, about forty 
yards long, leads into a small room covered with 
finely drawn figures, but much injured. Twenty-six 
yards further on is an inclined gallery, fifty yards 
long, which passes through a room with two square 
pillars on each side, into a chamber seventeen yards 
long, at the end of which is another gallery, twenty 
yards long, at the sides of which are horizontal niches 
probably for the mummies of the royal family. The 
most attractive sculptures in this tomb are in the 
small rooms leading out of the first gallery. The 



EARLY USE OF IRON. 



215 



first one contains six beautiful boats, richly decorated, 
some with their chequered yards set, and cabins in 
the centre. The next room contains a beautiful col- 
lection of arms and armour, as elegant in their form 
as the weapons now to be seen in the museum at 
Cairo, and in other royal collections. Some of the 
blades being painted blue, is strong evidence that 
the Egyptians were acquainted with the use of iron, 
though the corroding soil may have prevented the 
discovery of any, but, like the Christians and Kom- 
ans, who certainly had iron, which is supposed to 
have been known long before the Trojan War, they 
probably made far greater use of bronze. 

The next room contains furniture; and no one can 
see the chairs here depicted, as elegant and splendid 
as are to be seen in any modern palace, without ad- 
mitting the high civilization and luxury of the Egyp- 
tians. They initiate us at once into the private life of the 
monarchs. It is but reasonable to suppose that the 
chambers containing such chairs, to say nothing of 
the elegant couches, vases, &c, must have been in 
every other respect tastefully and magnificently fur- 
nished. The lions at their sides remind us of the de- 
scription of Solomon's throne. 

In the next room is a man ploughing on the banks 
of the river, and two others reaping, and various plants 
and trees, seemingly the cypress. In the next room 
are different representations of Osiris. On the first 



216 



OTHER SEPULCHRES OF KINGS. 



room on the left, on entering, we have the duties 
of the kitchen portrayed ; the slaughtering the 
oxen, and putting the joints in caldrons, drawing off 
the soup with syphons, pounding the meat, and mak- 
ing bread, and carrying it to the oven. The second 
and fourth room contain sacred emblems. The 
third a variety of birds, and fruits, and plants ; and 
in the last are two harpers, playing on elegant and 
rich harps, before the god Moui, or Hercules. The 
other sculptures in this tomb relate, as in No. 17, to 
the mysteries of the dead. 

No. 2, or the tomb of Rameses IV., where, on 
my first visit to Egypt, I resided a week, though 
small, is well worth seeing for the architecture. About 
eighty paces, a little inclined, lead, through four 
rooms, to the fine granite sarcophagus which is seen 
from the entrance. Among the sculptures are repre- 
sented prisoners and boats of Kneph; and large tablets 
of hieroglyphics, not particularly well executed. 

Of the other tombs, No. 9 and 14 are best worth 
seeing. No. 9 is the tomb of Rameses V., and is 
very beautiful. The decorations are not so rich, but 
the plan is more elegant than that of the tomb dis- 
covered by Belzoni. No. 14, the tomb of Osirei II., 
contains a curious sarcophagus. Both of these tombs 
are about one hundred and twenty yards long. 



217 



CHAPTER XL 

The Gay Season at Thebes — The Price of a Mummy — Sale of Scara- 
bsei — Manufacture of False Ones— The Obelisk at Luxor — Battle 
Scenes represented on the Eastern and Western Towers — Splendid 
Avenue formed by Fourteen Immense Columns — Advantage of 
Painting and Sculpture m Combination with Egyptian Architec- 
ture — The most Elegant Egyptian Columns — Ruins of the Tem- 
ple of Karnak — Imposing Avenue of Sphinxes — The Pylon of 
Ptolemy Euergetes — Beautiful Small Temple — Panorama of Un- 
equalled Grandeur — Great Temple of Karnak — Immense Pyra- 
midal Towers at the Entrance — Avenue of Magnificent Columns 
— Remarkable Sculptures of Egyptian Divinities and Religious 
Ceremonies — Ruins of the Great Hall of Karnak — Representation 
of Egyptian Deities on the Columns — Decorations of the Great 
Hall — A Sculptured Granite Gateway — Granite Sanctuary and 
Obelisks — Spirited Representation of Battle Scenes — Destruction 
of Sculptures — Colossal Portrait of Shishak — Ptolemy Lathyrus 
the Destroyer of the Temples of the Pharaohs — Representations 
of the Goddess Pasht. 

Travellers should visit the antiquities on the wes- 
tern bank before the palace-temple of Luxor, and the 
far more imposing ruins of Karnak ; but the attrac- 
tions of the bazaar of a market town, the want of 
fresh provisions, the mooring at this port of modem 



218 GAY APPEARANCE OF MODERN THEBES. 

and ancient Thebes being better than at Koorneh, the 
Consul residing there, and his house being the post- 
office, and the very natural wish for a little society 
after the long voyage of from fifteen to twenty days 
from Cairo, generally induce them, not a little influ- 
enced by their dragomen, to sail to Luxor first. 
During the season, and especially during the months 
of January and February, the bank is quite gay. I 
counted two steamers, and thirteen dahabeeahs of 
travellers there at one time, each with their pennants 
and flags, often of two or three nations, with their 
sandals, or little boats, similarly decorated, sailing 
about. 

The temple is imposing, and in and around the 
ruins are the Consuls' houses, with flags flying ; and 
the village is alive to make the most of the season. 
The market is well supplied with mutton and poultry, 
and even the unusual luxury, on the Nile, of toler- 
able butter may be procured. All kinds of animals 
are on sale. One man had a young but rather fierce 
lion. But the traffic in antiquities is the most pro- 
fitable for the gamin and dealers of Thebes, as they 
sell now at immense prices what cost them little or 
nothing. Fifty pounds was given for a mummy, 
and twenty for its companion, this winter, which, by 
a little bargaining, might have been purchased for 
ten pounds, and, on my first visit to the Nile, for as 
many shillings ; indeed, the only one I ever found a 



TRICKS OF THE DEALERS IN ANTIQUITIES. 219 



papyrus in cost me only two shillings and sixpence. 
Scarabsei fetch now fabulous prices. Being the first 
boat, I bought about fifty, but the prices were high, 
and rose enormously as other boats arrived ; ten shil- 
lings and twenty shillings, for a scarabasus, was, as 
the season advanced, the usual price for very common 
ones; and I paid one pound for a fine ivory one, with 
a royal bride's name, a friend of mine paying two 
pounds for one not nearly so good. When such prices 
are given it is not surprising that a manufacture of 
them has sprung up. It is really wonderful how well 
they copy the hieroglyphics of the royal names from 
the temples, and it is only from the green colouring 
being too dull, or too vivid, and from the mistakes 
in the hieroglyphics, when they attempt large ones, 
that they can be detected. Papyri are made up ; 
sealed with royal names, and boats, containing figures 
not the least Egyptian, of highly-glazed pottery, fetch 
one pound a piece from innocent travellers. The 
Consuls, being more on the spot, manage to obtain 
the best scarabsei, get them tastefully, but not accu- 
rately, set in Paris, and sell a necklace, brooch, and 
bracelets for three hundred poimds, which have pro- 
bably not cost them a tenth of the sum. 

One of the two beautiful red granite obelisks which 
adorned the entrance of the temple of Luxor is still 
standing, the other is in the Place de la Concorde, Paris. 
The Egyptians always erected obelisks in pairs, and 



220 



THE TEMPLE OF LUXOR. 



their effect, when isolated, is greatly diminished. This 
obelisk is covered with admirably engraved hierogly- 
phics, of an immense depth, but they appear too 
crowded. The mixture of figures and hieroglyphics, 
as will be seen on the obelisks at Karnak, has a much 
better effect. The heads and shoulders of the colos- 
sal statues of the King Kameses II., which orna- 
mented the entrance, are sadly injured. The grand 
propyla were decorated with interesting' sculpture. On 
the western tower, defaced as it is, a camp may still 
be traced, formed of shields, and filled with spoils. 
The king, Eameses II., in his chariot, appears to be 
sallying out of the camp, or defending it ; above the 
battle rages fiercely, chariot meeting chariot ; and on 
the east of the camp is a colossal representation of the 
king, seated on his throne, receiving the submission 
of his enemies. On the east tower a fierce battle is 
depicted, and a spirited representation of the king, in 
his chariot, drawing his bow, and overthrowing his 
enemies. A little distance behind him are six cha- 
riots, in line, one above another, showing the re- 
gularity with which they went to battle. The effect 
of the charge on the chariots of the enemy, is most 
spiritedly depicted : horses rearing with fright, war- 
riors falling out of the chariots, and many of the 
latter overthrown. There appears to be a fortified 
island, and chariots and foot soldiers are attacking it. 
The enemy in their fort are armed with bows. 



EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE REQUIRES COLOURING. 221 

This fine pylon leads into a court now filled with a 
portion of the town of Luxor. 

Passing the mosk, and winding through a narrow 
street, two capitals of the hud-shape will be seen. 
This street leads to a great hall which was never 
finished. Fourteen immense columns, bearing the 
names of the kings Horus and Sethi, with papyrus 
or bell-shaped capitals, still retaining traces of colour, 
which formed a grand avenue, are standing and sup- 
porting their architraves. Ruined even as they partly 
are, they appear to be the work of giants, compared 
to the wretched huts of the Arabs around them. 
This splendid avenue led into a grand court. Twenty- 
two columns, with the lotus-bud capitals, which 
formed a corridor on the east side, are still standing, 
and almost as many on the west. The absence of 
figures and hieroglyphics on these columns, which 
have never been finished, shows us how much the 
effect of Egyptian architecture was increased by the 
accessories of painting and sculpture, and, indeed, 
from its colossal proportions, required such advan- 
tages. This court led into a hall decorated with 
similar columns, but a portion of this hall was 
changed by the Christians into a Court of Justice. 
The niche where the judge sat, with a monolithic 
granite column on each side with barbarous capitals, 
may still be seen. The Court of Justice was richly 
decorated with frescoes on plaster, which has now 



222 



COURT OF JUSTICE. 



almost pealed off, revealing the Egyptian sculpture 
beneath. Traces of tasteful ornaments remain, and 
there are fragments of horses and men. One fine 
figure, in a toga, on the right of the niche, reminding 
me, in its style, of the mosaic in the church of Saint 
Cosmo and Damian, in Rome. Adjoining it is the 
god Amun Ra and King Amunoph III. on his knees, 
good specimens of Egyptian sculpture ; but elegant 
as the latter is, it must be confessed that it is sur- 
passed by the Roman. 

To see the rest of the temple the key must be 
asked for at the French Consul's house, which is 
built over it. 

There is one chamber containing four, and two 
rooms containing three, of the exquisite columns 
formed, as it were, of trees, or stalks, bound together 
beneath the bud-shaped capital. As these columns 
are excavated to their bases, which were circular, 
except on the sides forming the avenue, nowhere can 
this, the most elegant of Egyptian columns, be studied 
to greater advantage ; and, even without the addition 
of sculpture and colour, they must excite the admi- 
ration of all who care for architecture. These rooms 
having been filled for ages with a nitrous soil, the 
sculpture is almost defaced, but Amunoph III. mak- 
ing offerings to the Theban triad, and processions of 
the sacred arks, may be distinguished on the walls. 
In one room is a curious representation of the accouche- 



RIDE TO KARNAK. 



223 



ment of the mother of Amunoph, and presentation of 
the child to the god Araun Ka. These rooms lead to 
an isolated sanctuary, built and decorated by Alex- 
ander, son of Alexander the Great, behind which is a 
corridor containing twelve of the same beautiful 
columns, still perfect ; and another room, without a 
roof, containing portions of four columns. A very- 
little beyond the temple are the Eoman remains of a 
quay. 

A quarter of an hour's ride, leaving Luxor on our 
right, and deviating a little from the usual path on 
account of the doorah fields, brought us to the large 
mounds of a powder manufactory. On their summit 
the immense ruins of Karnak burst upon us : pylons, 
columns, obelisks, and temples mingling beautifully 
with palm-trees. Two minutes' longer ride brought 
us to the imposing avenue of criosphinxes, which an- 
ciently formed the grand street between Luxor and 
Karnak. Above a hundred of these headless sphinxes 
are remaining, one only with a loose ram's-head to 
show what they have been. Several of them have 
the remains of the king's statue between their feet. 
The pylon of Ptolemy Euergetes they lead to, covered 
with rich sculpture, representing offerings to the diffe- 
rent divinities, is most beautiful. The admirably 
sculptured winged globe retains much of its colour, 
the azure wings tipped with red. 

This exquisite pylon leads through an avenue of 



224 



TEMPLE OF THOTHMES. 



sphinxes to a small temple commenced by Thothmes 
■III., and finished by later kings, the first court of 
which was decorated with twenty-eight columns, with 
bud-shaped capitals, forming, in double file, a corridor 
all round, except the side of the entrance. The court 
being now cleared to the bases of the columns, its 
beautiful proportions may be fully appreciated. The 
roof is remaining over the corridors, with its cornice 
decorated with ovals. This temple having been 
buried, until recently, in nitrous earth, the sculpture 
is much injured. King Amunoph is represented 
making offerings to the Theban triad — Amun Ea, 
with the long feathers ; the mummy-shaped divinity, 
Khonso, with the sphere and short horns ; and some- 
times the goddess Mailt. 

This court leads into another, decorated with eight 
columns, excavated to their bases. The four columns 
forming the centre avenue have the papyrus, or bell- 
shaped, and the others the bud-shaped capitals. Near 
the door is a large fragment of a mutilated statue 
with a hawk's head. The roof of this court is partly 
remaining, and we have here an Egyptian window 
consisting of a large slab resting on the cornice of the 
roof, with twelve vertical openings. The sculpxure is 
much defaced. The rest of the temple, which con- 
sisted of several rooms surrounding a sanctury, is 
not cleared out. 

It is about two minutes' ride from these ruins to 



VIEW OF THE RUINS OF KARNAK. 225 

the avenue of criosphinxes, leading to the immense 
pyramidal towers forming the western entrance of 
the great temple of Karnak. The traveller will not 
forget this short ride. The vast extent of ruins before 
him will make an impression which time will not easily 
erase. The temple he is leaving, the pylons, ruined, 
but still imposing, with statues of kings leading to 
the southern entrance of the great temple ; the vast 
ruins of this palace-temple, extending above a mile ; 
pylons, obelisks, and columns, in picturesque confu- 
sion ; the graceful palms mingled with the edifices ; 
and, in the distance, groves of these beautiful trees, 
and the river, and the Great Western Mountain, 
form a panorama which is unequalled in any other 
ancient city. 

The avenue leading to the great entrance of the 
principal temple has been partly cleared. Many of 
the criosphinxes which formed it want only their 
heads. I observed two square pedestals with hiero- 
glyphics, containing the names of King Osirei. I 
thought they must have been for statues of the king, 
but I observed on the ground the top of an obelisk in 
sandstone, which, from its size, must have been on 
one of them. The immense pyramidal towers of this 
grand entrance were never finished ; one I measured, 
some distance from its base, was one hundred and 
sixty-eight feet long. On my first visit to Egypt I 
lived a fortnight in a chamber near the summit, cut 

Q 



226 THE GftEAT TEMPLE OF KARNAK. 

through the solid masonry to support flag-staffs which 
adorned these entrances. The view is very imposing of 
the first court. Many of the columns with bud-shaped 
capitals, which form corridors on each side, remain, 
though much injured ; but of the centre avenue, of 
twelve magnificent columns, with the papyrus, or 
bell-shaped capitals, only one is perfect, bearing the 
names of Psammitichus II. and Tirhaka. The view 
is very fine of these broken columns, of the immense 
masses of ruined masonry on each side, barely one 
stone in its place on another ; of the decorations of 
the entrance, and the perspective view of the grand 
hall, and the gateways and obelisks beyond. 

The temple on the right on entering this great 
court, and also the rooms on the other side, are now 
filled with rubbish. In the south-east corner of the 
court is a fragment of a gateway, on which the king 
is represented sacrificing prisoners to Amun. Be- 
fore the entrance of the great hall is a fragment of a 
fine granite statue of the king. The Ptolemaic sculp- 
ture which adorns the entrance, though ungraceful in 
style, retains much of its colour. 

There is a sacred boat of Kneph, or rather of Amun 
Ea with the attributes of Kneph, on each side of the 
buttresses of the entrance. The ram's heads with 
necklaces, and the head-dress of the globe and serpents, 
are very splendid. In the centre of the boat is the 
ram-headed divinity seated on a lotus-flower, with 



THE GREAT HALL OF KARNAK. 



227 



the cross of life in his hand. The king is behind 
making offerings, and there are two representations 
of the goddess of Truth and Justice, with outstretched 
wings, on one of which is a feather. 

The same subject is repeated below with slight 
changes, and beneath are the spirits with hawks' 
heads and outstretched arms. The boat on the oppo- 
site side has jackals' heads ; behind the shrine is 
the king under his parasol, and Horus near the oar ; 
and in front of the shrine is the king making offer- 
ings, and other figures much defaced. Below these 
boats are others still uncleared out. 

No ruins in the world can equal the great hall of 
Karnak, measuring one hundred and seventy feet by 
three hundred and twenty-nine feet.* The splendid 
centre avenue consists of twelve prodigious columns, 
sixty-two feet high, and about thirty-five feet in cir- 
cumference, with papyrus or bell-shaped capitals, of 
which some of the colouring — blue, yellow, and a 
little red — may still be traced. And on each side of 
these is a forest of sixty columns, forty-two feet five 
inches in height, and twenty-eight feet in circumfer- 
ence. Beyond the centre avenue are seen obelisks, 
gateways, and masses of masonry ; and every portion 
of these gigantic ruins is covered with sculpture most 
admirably executed. 

Those who cannot reconcile themselves to the con- 

* See Handbook. 

Q 2 



228 SCULPTURES DECORATING THE HALL. 



ventional style of the sculpture of the figures, must at 
least allow the merit of the animals, the large hawks 
and cows, and indeed the beautiful engraving of all 
the hieroglyphics. You see at once that this great 
temple is dedicated to Amun R,a ; for King Sethi 
making offerings to that god, with the head-dress of 
two long feathers, strikes the eye in the same position 
on every column of the centre avenue, sometimes a 
mummy-shaped, and sometimes a human figure, followed 
by the goddess Maut, wearing the mitre head-dress, 
or as Isis, with the globe and horns. 

Besides the divinities I have mentioned, Khonso, 
the third divinity of the Theban triad, will be seen, 
mummy-shaped, with a head-dress of a globe and 
short horns ; and in his hands the usual sceptre of the 
gods, with his peculiar one, the emblem of stability. 
I saw also on the columns a beautiful representation of 
Seb, accompanied by Athor, retaining much of their 
colour ; and there is a fine group of the king offering 
a sphinx to Horus. 

Owing to injudicious excavations lately made, many 
of the columns have unfortunately fallen. Besides 
the graceful sculpture on the columns, the walls of 
the great hall are covered with fine specimens of 
Egyptian art. The western wall is especially de- 
serving of attention. The subjects are the king making 
offerings to the different divinities, chiefly the Theban 
triad ; and there is an injured representation of an 



OBELISKS. 



229 



ark, with a shrine, which the Egyptians probably 
carried with them to battle. 

A more enjoyable walk on a hot day cannot be de- 
sired than in the shade of these hundred and thirty- 
two massive columns ; they are as to art what forests 
of lofty pines are in nature. There is one particu- 
larly picturesque view of an aisle of columns, with a 
cornice remaining on an architrave ; and above the cor- 
nice a slab, or Egyptian window, with vertical open- 
ings, showing that there were apartments above, doubt- 
less of the palace of the Pharaohs. In your rambles 
through these aisles, you are continually delighted with 
discoveries of vivid remains of colour, especially the 
subjects under the architraves, representing the names 
and titles of the king ; and you feel how gorgeous, how 
magnificent, this hall must have been before time, 
more injurious here than the Persians and the re- 
vengeful Ptolemy, destroyed its splendour. 

Leaving the great hall, and passing what was its 
eastern front, of which only a portion remains, 
covered with hieroglyphics, the straight but rough 
path leads to an obelisk bearing in the centre line the 
names of Thothmes I. and of Eameses II., in the side 
lines. You then enter a gallery, in which is another 
most beautiful obelisk, bearing the name of Amun- 
nou-het, the great queen of Thothmes III. This 
gallery leads into a court which was decorated with 
Osiride columns ; those on the south side, opposite 



230 



RECENT DISCOVERIES. 



some fragments of columns, are the most perfect. 
Going straight forward, you reach a granite gateway, 
ornamented with a figure of King Thothmes. 

On each side are five rows of prisoners, represented 
by ovals containing the names of conquered coun- 
tries, above which are the bearded heads and busts 
representing the people with arms tied behind them, 
to indicate that they were captives. The rows on the 
south side contain each twenty-three of these ovals, 
and those on the north side fifteen. As these have 
been recently cleared, I regretted being too unwell to 
copy them. 

There are chambers on each side of this court, where 
fragments of columns will be seen, and on one of the 
walls a tablet containing in numbers a list of offerings, 
but much injured. A small corridor, in which there 
is a beautiful head of Amun, with the blue colouring 
very perfect, leads to the granite sanctuary, before 
which are two injured granite obelisks, two sides of 
which are decorated with beautiful representations of 
the lotus-flower ; and on the others King Thothmes 
is seen embraced by Amun and Maut. 

The sanctuary consists of two small rooms, and was 
no doubt in proportion to the original temple. The 
name of Thothmes III. on one of the slabs of granite 
shows that it was originally rebuilt of granite by that 
king, and after its destruction by the Persians, as the 
Handbook supposes, reconstructed by Philip Aridseus, 



ANTIQUITY OF THE RUINS. 



231 



for whom Ptolemy was governing Egypt. The 
sculpture inside the sanctuary is small, and, as will be 
observed, less deep than the more ancient styles ; the 
colouring is now pea-green. 

A circuit over ruins must be made to see the 
inner court of the sanctuary, where there is a door- 
way of black basalt. Around and near the sanctuary 
are numerous small chambers, one containing an im- 
portant tablet of the stranger kings. Behind the sanc- 
tuary, on polygonal columns, was found the name of 
King Oristasen, of the eleventh dynasty, who reigned, 
according to Wilkinson, about two thousand years 
before our era. This discovery was of great import- 
ance, as the earliest names found on this, or any of the 
temples or tombs of Thebes, are of a date at least 
five hundred years later, when Thebes had succeeded 
to Memphis as the capital of Egypt, and the eigh- 
teenth Theban dynasty adorned their metropolis with 
magnificent edifices. 

Two minutes' further scramble east leads to an in- 
teresting corridor erected by Thothmes III., which, 
though not cleared out, is very perfect, and orna- 
mented with columns, with capitals of the papyrus 
bud-shaped, stupidly reversed, showing us that Egyp- 
tian like other architects sometimes made mistakes. 
The remains of colouring in this corridor on the 
columns and hieroglyphics, show us how beautiful it 
must have been when fresh. The view from this cor- 



232 



FINE VIEWS OF THE RUINS. 



ridor, looking back on the vast pile of ruins, is very- 
imposing. There are no dirty Arab villages to de- 
stroy the effect of these magnificent remains. Yon 
see nothing but obelisks, columns, stones, and granite, 
and, in the distance, palms, and the Western moun- 
tain. The corridor leads to other rooms, in which 
there are now four graceful columns, with the bud- 
shaped capitals, and on one side seven polygonal 
columns, with simple plain slabs for capitals, and on 
the other side three similar columns. They bear the 
name of Thothmes III., and lead to a chamber where 
Alexander is represented making offerings to the god 
Amun Ra. 

The rest of the temple is uncleared, but it is worth 
while scrambling over chambers where there are frag- 
ments of Osiride columns, and some polygonal columns 
and others with the bud-shaped capital, to a corridor 
partly cleared, where there are two Osiride columns. 
The view from the mound looking down on this court 
is very fine, of the obelisks and ruins of the great 
temple, the sacred lake, the three ruined propyla to 
the south, mingled with palm-groves which extend 
some distance to the north ; and behind them the 
great Western mountain. 

There is nothing to be seen beyond this court but 
an unfinished pylon. In clearing out these great 
ruins, and making a road to them sufficiently wide for 
a carriage, they have not only diminished greatly 



HISTORICAL SCULPTURES. 233 



their picturesque appearance, but they have also 
caused the destruction of several of the columns in 
the great hall ; and what is of far more importance, 
they have covered with the rubbish that they have 
taken from the interior, a very great portion of the 
most interesting historical sculptures in the valley of 
the Nile.* 

I will mention their present state, beginning at the 
western extremity of the exterior of the north side of the 
great hall. In the upper row parts of the chariot and 
spiritedly drawn horses of the king Osirei or Sethi I. 
storming a fort on an eminence, are still to be seen. The 

* According to Bunsen (iii., 157), these sculptures represent the 
triumph of King Sethi over five different nations — the Lutennu, or 
Retennu, supposed to be the Ludim of Scripture, of which race the 
Remnu are mentioned as a portion. 2. The Shashu, shepherd races 
in Canaan, and their rock fortress, has inscribed over it " Fortress of 
the Land of Kanana." 3. Over the Atsh shepherds, also. 4. Over 
the Tahu, in the land of the Retennu. 5. Triumph over the Khet, 
Kheta, a people without beards, wearing a close-fitting cap, and some- 
times a feather, and armed with bows and arrows, and long square 
shields — doubtful whether Hittites, a people of Canaan, or inhabi- 
tants of Cyprus. The praises the great conqueror receives elevate 
him above all the kings of Egypt. The inscription has been thus 
translated : — " The most distinguished priests of the Gods, the presi- 
dents of the upper and lower country, come to do homage to the good 
God on his return from the foreign land of the Retennu, after he has 
conquered and reduced to slavery many great men. None has been 
like him except Osiris.'' 1 When adoring his majesty, and extolling the 
increase of his power, they say— u Thou hast gone forth to subjugate 
foreign lands, and hast trodden the world under foot with the voice of 
thy truth ; thine enemies thou hast defeated on the first day of thy 
reign, like Ra, in heaven ; thou hast purified the hearts of all barba- 
rians ; Ra gave thee these frontiers before thee ; thy battle-axe was 
over the thrones of all foreign lands, their priests were pierced by the 
sword." — B., iii., 159. 



234 



INJURIES TO THE SCULPTURE. 



fort is partly destroyed, but its bushy-haired and 
bearded warriors, with aquiline noses, are vanquished 
by the showers of arrows of their powerful adversary. 
Below this subject the king, with his falchion raised, 
is overthrowing the hosts of the Eot-n-no : won- 
derful spirit is exhibited in this group ; behind it, 
though partly obscured by the rubbish, is the king 
on foot, spearing one of his foes — also admirably 
drawn. Of the great battle beneath only two small 
chariots and some heads are visible. 

Further east, between two mounds of recently de- 
posited rubbish, the king is presenting a string of 
prisoners to the Theban triad — Amun Ea, Maut, 
and Khonso, whose head-dress and hieroglyphics are 
alone undestroyed and uncovered by the rubbish. Pass- 
ing the entrance into the temple, there is a grand 
representation of the king sacrificing before Amun 
Ea a number of prisoners whose names are in ovals. 
As one line begins with the names of the people of the 
South, and another that of the North, we see how 
extensive were his conquests. Eubbish and wilful 
destruction have sadly injured the other sculptures. 
In the upper row little remains of the king in his cha- 
riot, and the string of prisoners he is presenting to the 
Theban triad is much injured; but the divinities, 
except their faces, have suffered less, and also the 
king on foot before them. The same subject is repeated 
below. The king in his chariot is more perfectly pre- 



DEFEAT OF THE CANAANITES. 



235 



served. The prisoners, with their arras tied above 
their elbows, and others, male and female, entreating 
mercy, or singing paeans congratulating the hero, 
are very interesting. 

The next, and last, subjects are much injured. 
Little remains of the king, in his chariot, attacking, 
on an island near a river, a fort with turrets. The 
Handbook also says the name of the town is Kanana, 
and the early date of the first year of the king's 
reign leaves little room to doubt that the defeat of 
the Canaanites is here represented. The enemy 
had horsemen, for we see one man with a spear in his 
hand galloping away, and another horse is depicted 
without its rider. In the group below the portrait 
of the king, in his chariot, is well preserved and very 
interesting, as it is, no doubt, a likeness of King 
Sethi. He is drawing his bow, slaughtering his 
enemies, and taking their strong places. The horses 
of the chariots are sadly injured, but a portion of the 
heads remaining show how spiritedly they have been 
executed. Then follows the king, in repose, in his 
chariot, terribly defaced ; but there are three interest- 
ing representations of the fortified places he has taken. 

There is also some very interesting sculpture on 
the south side of this great temple. On the south- 
west corner of the exterior of the great hall, close to 
the side entrance of the first court of the temple, 
is a colossal portrait of Sheshonk (Shishak of the 



236 



THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH. 



Bible), with the head-dress of two feathers — of 
Anmn Ea — with a falchion in his right hand, and 
the cords of seven lines of prisoners in his left ; other 
prisoners are on their knees begging for mercy. The 
strings of prisoners are represented by, as usual, their 
arms bound together, and heads and busts in ovals 
containing their names. In the third, or I may say 
the first uninjured one, in the third row, behind the 
king, is that of Judah Melchi, kingdom of Judah, quite 
clear and uninjured.^ 

On the south side of the great hall, beginning at 
the western extremity, spirited battle-pieces are 
depicted. King Barneses II. is seen with his shield 
before him storming a fort, making prisoners, and on 
foot, and in his chariot drawing his bow. Passing 
the entrance of the great hall, he is attacking forts in 
his chariot, and there is a very long inscription in 
hieroglyphics commemorating his victory. 

There are other ruins on the north side of the 
great temple, which are now so destroyed that they 
are scarcely worth the fatigue of visiting them. The 

* There are other names of Syrian people. " Land of Mahan Ma 
compared by Rosellini with the Mahanaim of Jacob (Gen. xxxii — i.e. 
double camp), an ancient city on the northern frontier of the tribe of 
Gad, to the north of the Jabbok. Land of Baitahuarun, clearly the 
Beth-boron of Scripture, a city in the tribe of Ephraim, the lower one 
of the two of that name. Solomon fortified Beth-horon (2 Chron. viii. 5), 
in the vicinity of an important defile. Land of Maktau, the Megiddo 
of Scripture, a strong city of Manasseh, on the borders of Issachar, on 
the Kishon, celebrated for the decisive battle, in which Josiah was 
defeated by Necho, and mortally wounded." — Bunsen, vol. iii., 142. 



EXTRAORDINARY DESTRUCTION OF TIIE RUINS. 237 

destruction of the ruins is however as marvellous as 
their creation ; they appear built for eternity, but 
pylons, obelisks, and solid temples are levelled to the 
ground. Between the obelisks and northern pylon is 
a fragment of a gateway, richly sculptured, the west 
side by the Ptolemies, and there is a long tablet of 
hieroglyphics. On the right side is a beautiful frag- 
ment, worth observing for the freshness of its colour- 
ing. One oval contains no hieroglyphics, and the 
others are defaced ; but the sculpture is of the best 
period, probably of Thothmes, and represents the king 
making offerings to Amun Ea and Maut, behind whom 
are Pthah and Athor. 

A few yards east are other rooms. The sculpture 
is very fresh, but unfortunately not all cleared. The 
name of Thothmes III. is on the architrave, and 
Ptolemy Euergetes II. is making offerings of a sphinx 
to Pthah and Athor ; further east, in an almost direct 
line with the southern pylons, are other ruins. At 
one gateway I copied the name of King Ainyrtseus, of 
the twenty-eighth dynasty. There are remains of 
rooms, and of the enclosing walls of the temple, and 
fragments of columns, some of the best period, extend 
to the beautiful northern pylon, bearing the name of 
Ptolemy Philopator. 

On the south side of the pylon are the large granite 
bases of two obelisks, fragments of which are scat- 
tered about, and on the north side are the remains of 



238 



THE DESTROYER OF THE TEMPLE. 



an avenue of sphinxes. As the Handbook remarks, 
this pylon would never have been erected by the 
Ptolemies "to adorn a mass of ruins/' if the temples 
it had led to had been destroyed by the Persians. 
The beautiful pylon I have mentioned, on the south 
of the great temple, and the granite sanctuary, and 
other ruins being respected, are certainly strong evi- 
dence that it is to Ptolemy Lathyrus — exasperated by 
a three years' siege — that we must attribute the ex- 
traordinary destruction of so many of the temples of 
the Pharaohs. There is no reason to believe that 
the Persian dynasty was so very hostile to the religion 
of Egypt. In my " Visit to the great Oasis," I 
have given drawings of a large temple built there by 
Darius. 

There are other ruins to the south of the great tem- 
ple. The road they have made between the great 
temple and the first of the southern propyl a, as I 
have said, almost wide enough for a carriage, passes 
several small rooms of little importance, but bearing 
the name of Thothmes III. 

Passing the remains of the southern propyla, still 
ornamented with fragments of statues of kings of the 
eighteenth dynasty, and an avenue of criosphinxes, 
now sadly injured, we came to the entrance of a 
temple bearing the name of a Ptolemy. In the adjoin- 
ing court have been lately excavated some very fine 



SINGULAR COURTS. 



239 



Androo sphinxes, one remarkably fine, bearing the 
name of Rameses II., which I saw quite fresh, was 
shamefully injured during the three months I was up 
the river, so rapidly does the work of destruction go 
on at Thebes. This led to another gateway, much 
ruined, but with a very perfect representation of 
Typhon on each side, with a head-dress of five leaves of 
the palm-tree, and a lion's skin on his breast, the head 
forming a brooch, and the two paws extending below. 
This leads into a singular court, in which I counted 
about twenty sitting representations in basalt of the 
goddess Pasht, with the lion -shaped head and disk, 
the latter all broken except one or two. They were 
about six feet high, and were about half a foot apart 
from each other, and extended around three sides of 
the court. They have long garments, with a striped 
ornament at the ankles, and in their left hands the 
sacred cross. 

There are about twenty more of them on the right 
on entering. Many are cleared to their bases, and I 
copied, from the back of them, not only the name of 
the divinity, but also that of Sheshonk L, and did not 
see the name of any other king. This strange court 
is in a line, as I. have said, with the southern propy- 
la ; east of the village of Karnak, and close to the 
sacred lake, which, though fed by the Nile, is unfit 
for drinking, from the nitrous quality of the earth. 



240 A TEMPLE OF RAMESES. 



A short distance south-west from these ruins are 
two beautiful fragments of rose-coloured granite, and 
the portion of the south wall of a temple, bearing the 
name of Rameses II. 



241 



CHAPTER XII. 

Arrival at Erment — The Old Village of Erment — Euins of the Tem- 
ple — Decorations of the Sanctuary — Females Mourning — The 
Town of Esneh — The Bazaar — Beautiful Little Palace built by 
Mohammed AH — Garden and Aviary — Beautiful Walk and View 
—Visit of the Chief Priest of the Copts at Esneh — Coptic Con- 
vents — The Guide's Difficulties with his Donkey — Interior of a 
Coptic Convent — Exterior of the Temple — Curious Group of 
Sculpture — The Sheraineh Range of Mountains — Quarrel with 
Nubians — Working of the Shadoof — Quarrels with the Pea- 
santry — Arrival at El Kab — Visit to Neighbouring Tombs — 
English Vandalism — Interesting Picture of Egyptian Agricul- 
tural Operations — Temple of Edfoo — Great Towers of the Pro- 
pylon — Magnificent Portico — The Hall of Assembly — Sculptures 
representing Egyptian Kings and Divinities — The Wall sur- 
rounding the Temple — Bad Character of the Edfoo Peasantry. 

We left Thebes in the evening, and after an hour's 
uninteresting sail, arrived at Erment, the ancient 
Hermonthis, where there is a sugar manufactory, which 
has created a new and flourishing village round it. 
This is the work of the son of the late Ibrahim Pasha, 
Mustapha Pasha, who now resides at Constantinople. 
A mosk, good houses rent free, occupation in his 
lands and manufactory, soon attracted from less fa- 

E 



242 



VJEW AT ERMENT. 



voured villages a sufficient population. The old 
village of Erment, where the temple is situated, is 
about a quarter of an hour's ride, or walk, from the 
river. The first view of the ruins, after passing a 
portion of the village, from the summit of the mounds 
of the ancient city, was very striking. Beautiful 
isolated columns, domes, Sheakhs' tombs, Arab cot- 
tages, with their pigeon-houses more than usually 
picturesque, were mingled with palm-trees, beyond 
them the most brilliant verdure, a strip of desert, 
and a range of high yellow hills. The colouring was 
beautiful, and the shadows, when I was there, magni- 
ficent. Towards the Nile the view is also very ex- 
tensive and pleasing — of the range of distant moun- 
tains, the river, the brilliant verdure of the cultivated 
land, and groves of palm-trees. A string of camels, 
other animals, and groups of peasants, formed the fore- 
ground to this view ; some of the men were well 
dressed, in long blue gowns and white turbans, others 
in very wretched brown frocks ; women equally 
miserably clad, but with arms and necks often rich 
in ornaments. It is strange to see, as we often do 
in Egypt, gold glittering in the sun beneath rags and 
tatters. 

This temple was erected under the reign of the 
celebrated Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy Auletes, in 
commemoration of the birth of Ptolemy Csesarion, 
her son, and is worthy of careful examination, being 



TEMPLE OF ERMENT. 



243 



one of the most curious of what Champollion calls the 
lying-in temples. It is very much changed since I 
first saw it, having been used as a quarry, probably 
for the Pasha's new buildings. Its picturesque ap- 
pearance is rather increased, though several most in- 
teresting sculptures of the inner sanctuary have been 
taken away. Seven columns, with Ptolemaic capitals, 
remain ; five beautiful ones, now unencumbered with 
masonry (or screens), to detract from their pic- 
turesque effect. The upper portions of the shafts are 
covered with sculpture, but have never been finished. 
A portion of the screen and columns forming the en- 
trance, and leading into what may have been a corridor 
before the sanctuary remain, and on the fragment 
of masonry supporting, with a column, the archi- 
trave, is a representation of Cleopatra, with the head- 
dress of globe, and horns, and two feathers, making 
offerings to a female goddess, with globe and horns, 
probably Reto, who, with Mandoo, represented with 
a hawk's head, and their infant, Horpi-re, formed 
the triad worshipped here. The face of Cleopatra 
is uninjured, angular, and, unlike the portrait at Den- 
dera, positively hideous. This may be the fault, 
however, of the artists, as the sculpture generally of 
this temple is very bad. 

This corridor leads into a small chamber, from 
which, on the right hand on entering, is a winding 
staircase leading to the roof. On the right hand of 

R 2 



244 



CURIOUS SCULPTURE. 



this small room the king is represented addressing 
the divinities with the hawk's head and globe, horns 
and feathers. On the other side is the divinity with a 
lion's head, above which is a figure of Typhon. 

The sanctuary is curiously decorated with sculp- 
ture, chiefly relating to the birth, nursing, and edu- 
cation of Horpi-re. There are gods and goddesses, 
Cynocephali or Typhons, with large stomachs, curious 
head-dresses of wigs, and long thick pigtails ; many 
with the head-dress of the globe, and horns, and two 
feathers. There are also depicted on the walls, owls, 
fish, crocodiles, foxes, geese, serpents with globes, 
Basis, the bull of Amenti, with Horpi-re between its 
horns, and many other curious nondescripts — Man- 
doo nursing Horpi-re on her knee, and presenting 
him to the gods, being the principal subjects. Over 
the entrance into this sanctuary is a hawk with rays, 
with a strange figure of a Cynocephalus, with two 
disks in its paws, grinning and showing its teeth, 
and another representation of Typhon. 

The inner sanctuary, which is now destroyed, con- 
tained interesting sculpture, representing the god- 
dess Eeto being delivered of her son. The roof 
of the sanctuary remains, of large blocks, decorated 
with hieroglyphics and stars. All the exterior of the 
temple is decorated with sculpture. 

At the back, following four representations of 
Athor presenting offerings of disks, is a hideous 



WOMEN MOURNING. 



245 



figure of Typhon. Cleopatra's portrait may there be 
examined more elosely. She is the first long-robed 
figure going from the north to the west side of the 
temple, making offerings to six divinities, seated, 
and wearing the head-dress of globe, horns, and 
feathers. This representation of her is less ugly than 
the other, but not one trace of beauty can be seen. 

Of the other ruins which formerly existed here, 
particularly a fine temple of the time of Thothmes, 
there are now no remains. Erment is one of the places 
where antiquities are offered for sale, but I met with 
nothing but a pair of ear-rings. 

Eeturning to our boat we observed about a dozen 
women mourning for a man who had been dead two 
months. Each woman, on these occasions, brings with 
her a small loaf of bread, which they give away to 
the poor. They mourn often in this way half a day 
once a week — in Cairo generally on the Friday. 

We started at eleven, with a slight breeze, and 
in the night arrived at Esneb, passing El G-ebelayn, 
a bold isolated rock rising precipitously from the 
river, with a Sheakh's tomb on the summit, and 
grottoes below ; and beyond it, in the distance, a 
long low range of yellow rocks, and on our right 
a bolder and a more broken range, fringed with a 
narrow strip of cultivated land, dotted with acacias 
and palm-trees. 

Esneh is a large town, but the Nile has swept 



246 



ESNEIL 



away so many of the houses on the banks of the 
river, that the inhabitants, naturally afraid of so dan- 
gerous a propinquity, have retreated more inland, 
and the remains of their former habitations have a 
very ruinous appearance. Mud-huts, if not kept in 
repair, soon crumble into dust, which is sometimes not 
very pleasant to wade through. One white minaret 
of a mosk is visible, not remarkable for its architec- 
ture, but in character with the general poverty- 
stricken appearance of the place. Some of the small 
bazaars are covered, and more respectable groups, in 
fresh blue gowns and white turbans, were smoking 
and gossiping. 

The most frequented bazaar is held in a small 
square, but has little to boast of; coffee-cups, and 
their filigree copper holders, pipes, pipe-bowls, and 
excellent tobacco, the most minute looking-glasses 
that ladies ever used, besides oranges, water-melons, 
and small sweet grapes, were almost the only articles. 
The cattle, camels, oxen, and asses on sale, were of a 
very wretched description. Thirty years ago I recollect 
seeing men, women, and children for sale in the market ; 
but this dynasty has at least the merit of diminishing, 
though not putting an end to, that commerce, being 
now less openly carried on, though it is a mistake to 
suppose slavery is abolished in Egypt. 

The necessaries of life are, however, cheap. A 
day at Sioot and Esneh for the sailors to buy wheat, 



T1IE PASHA'S VILLAGE AT ESNEH. 



247 



and bake it into bread, forms a part of every con- 
tract for a boat on the Nile. After the sailors bring 
their bread from the oven, they spread it on the roof 
of the cabins, and the sun and wind soon dry it into 
biscuit. The grain costs now one hundred and twenty 
piastres, and the baking sixty, making altogether 
twenty-four shillings for the ardeb. 

Below the town, on the bank of the river, is a 
pretty little palace, or villa, built by Mohammed Ali. 
A more enjoyable residence does not exist on the 
banks of the Nile, and great people who come here 
for health, and have sufficient influence, would do well 
to obtain it. A flight of stone steps leads up to a 
terrace walk, shaded by acacias, and other shrubs. 
The palace, situated in a garden, has a simple and un- 
pretending facade ; but the entrance and the prin- 
cipal rooms are spacious and lofty, with the carved 
wooden roofs Orientals delight in. The Pasha's 
rooms are furnished with Persian carpets and luxuri- 
ous divans, and the numerous windows are entirely 
covered with thickly-padded curtains, so that the 
rooms can be kept thoroughly warm, or as much air 
and light admitted as may be required. 

The little garden surrounding the palace is pro- 
fusely planted with orange, lemon, cypress, acacias, 
and palm-trees, with hedges of Cape jessamine, and, 
with a little care, might be beautiful. In the wooden 
roof of the large and lofty porch before the entrance 



248 



THE SALUBRITY OF ESNEII. 



of the palace, we observed small holes, just large 
enough to admit the little feathered songsters with 
which the garden abounds, forming a charming little 
aviary. The keeper of the palace offered us the best 
room to sit in during the day, and the head-gardener 
was equally obliging. 

The air of Esneh is famous for its salubrity. Until 
we arrived here (3d Dec), we always had a little damp 
at night, but only for a short time, one morning, has 
it been the least so here. The mornings are cold, 
but the days almost warm, even when the north wind 
is blowing strong ; the air is dry and bracing, fresli 
from the vast salubrious desert, which reaches close 
to the east bank of the river, which is here but 
narrow. There is a delightful walk below the palace, 
on the bank of the Nile, though unfortunately rather 
broken by the conduits of the Sakeeas, or water-wheels. 
There are some splendid sycamore trees, with their 
picturesque trunks and roots, and the view of the 
range of the Sheraineh hills and promontory is very 
striking, 

I shall never forget the view we had one delicious 
evening. The river was so calm it was impossible to 
observe the movement of the current except from the 
rapid progress of spars of wood, birds, or boats float- 
ing on its surface. The summit of the range of the 
Sheraineh is very flat, the sides most picturesquely 
broken, though no lines vertical ; but in the reflec- 



COPTIC CONVENTS. 



249 



tion in the river every line was perpendicular, as if 
the hills had been vast ranges of stalactites, and the 
broad masses of shadow on the rocks were beautifully 
delineated in the water. 

There are about one thousand Copts residing in 
and near Esneh. The chief priest there paid us a 
visit, and offered to bring us some of the sacred oil 
from the altar of their chapel for my poor wife's reco- 
very from severe illness. There are two convents, 
one in the town, and another called Ammonius, four 
miles off. said to have been built at the time of the 
Empress Helena, in honour of the martyrs killed by 
Diocletian ; but, according to the priest's account, it 
was built eighteen hundred years ago. 

I visited their church in the town, and found it very 
inferior to the one at old Cairo. There were some 
old crosses in stone, and very ancient wood-carving, 
and some screens of tolerable design. The pictures, 
almost all representing St. George and the Dragon, 
were of the vilest description — copies of Byzantine 
pictures perhaps, but evidently modern fabrications. 
Lamps hung from the roofs, and some arches were 
the only pretensions to architecture. 

There are many Coptic convents on the margin of 
the Libyan and Arabian deserts, which may be consi- 
dered interesting as the probable residence of cele- 
brated persecuted men who lived and died there, and 
the places of refuge of the Christians at the time of the 



250 



LOST IN A DOORAH FIELD. 



Arab invasion. The convent I have mentioned, called 
Ammonius, is considered the most ancient in the 
valley of the Nile, but my visit to it was accompanied 
with difficulties unusual to a Nile traveller. I mounted a 
donkey at three, and its owner assured me we should 
be back in an hour and a half ; that he had lived in 
Esneh all his life, and of course knew the way to the 
convent E' Dayr. 

Leaving Esneh to the north, we soon were amidst 
doorah fields. There were numerous cross roads, 
and my little donkey very soon began to differ with 
my guide about the road. The little shay tan (devil), 
as he called it, wished to go every way but the one 
he said was the right one. The turnings back were 
innumerable, and perhaps confused its owner's brains. 
Gradually the path became narrower and narrower ; 
at last I had to dismount to force my way, with great 
fatigue, through the doorah interlacing the path. 
The boy persisted in saying we were on the right 
road, but at last we came to where there was not the 
slightest vestige of a path, and he confessed that he 
had missed the way. 

To be lost in fields of doorah, eight feet high, miles 
in extent, was not pleasant. Fortunately I heard some 
voices of men working. The offer of a shilling, which 
in this country is a considerable bribe, induced one of 
them very reluctantly to be our guide to the convent. 
He made a path for us through the doorah to the 



CONVENT OF AMMONIUS. 



251 



bank of a broad and deep canal, along which we rode 
for half an hour, my clever little donkey leaping most 
wonderfully the innumerable little ditches or conduits 
which led from it to irrigate the land. 

At last an old Arab, tending his flocks of sheep, 
goats, and cows, showed us a place shallow enough 
to ford. As it took the men up to their waists, 
I had to be carried between our guide and my sailor 
in an almost horizontal position, to avoid a duck- 
ing. To get the donkey over was far more difficult, 
and the poor little animal, on approaching the bank, 
stuck in the mud, with only its head above water; the 
men, being strong, at last got it out. 

An hour and a half from starting we arrived at the 
convent, at the extremity of the cultivated land. The 
situation is not in the slightest degree picturesque ; 
the desert even has not its usual grandeur. The 
convent is surrounded with lofty walls, partly of burnt 
brick ; and there is only one entrance, which is always 
kept locked. Having found the single guardian of 
this solitary building, he climbed over the wall, and 
admitted us from inside ; but, broken as the wall is, 
it would not have been difficult to follow his example. 

The enclosure contained streets of hovels rather 
better than Arab ones. The key of the chapel was 
not to be found, though great search was made for it 
in, I suppose, its usual hiding-place — the sand that 
had drifted round the door. An Arab lock presents 



252 



CHRISTIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



no great difficulties, and it soon yielded to the united 
force of the guardian and my men. 

A dark ante-room leads into a chamber with a dome 
over it, presenting now only bare walls, no pic- 
tures, and no wood-work. A little stone slab over 
the entrance with a cross is the only vestige of anti- 
quity. The Copts come here in crowds four times a 
year, especially at Christmas, to pray ; but I suppose 
it is then decked out for the occasion. 

We returned by a different and smoother road, by 
the village of Geri; but, before arriving there, we had 
to cross a small stream, where I got wet up to the 
ankles, from the men carrying me sinking into the 
mud. We had also to cross the same canal I have 
mentioned, on the rudest raft I ever was on, con- 
sisting of four logs of wood carelessly tied together. 
With a foot on each of the largest pieces, it was with 
the greatest difficulty I could preserve my balance. 

Our road lay almost entirely, for an hour and a 
half, through the immense fields of doorah ; a fine 
sight for once, but, whatever may be their associ- 
ations — vague as they must ever be — I must confess 
I have seen quite enough of the Christian antiquities 
of the Nile. 

It does not appear that the site of Esneh is much 
changed since the times of the Greeks and Romans, 
when it was called Latopolis, from the worship of the 
Latus fish, which, according to Strabo, shared with 



TEMPLE OF ESNEH. 



253 



Minerva the honours of the sanctuary. Very exten- 
sive ruins of the ancient Roman quay still remain. 
In one part there appears to have been an inner wall, 
to protect the town from the destructive river. 
Esneh can boast of one of the most beautiful porticoes 
of a temple in the valley of the Nile — one hundred and 
fifty-six feet wide, by seventy-four feet long. The style 
of the architecture is Ptolemaic, though the sculptures 
only contain Roman names. The cornice of the faqade, 
which went round the temple, is very bold and hand- 
some, and being partly protected from the rain, which 
sometimes falls, much of the colouring remains. The 
large ovals, the ground of which was coloured alter- 
nately red and yellow, make a beautiful decoration. 
The six columns of the facade, partly joined with 
screens, have the same capitals, and of the other 
eighteen columns only two are similar in outline to 
those of the facade, and even these differ in their in- 
ternal decorations. There are half a dozen variations 
of the Ptolemaic capitals, well deserving attention. 
Many would think these capitals more beautiful than 
those of the Pharaonic period, which presented less 
variety, and were always more simple, and often, 
especially in the papyrus capital, depended on their 
colouring, now almost always defaced, for their effect ; 
whereas these sculptured capitals are extremely ele- 
gant and rich, without the accessories of brilliant and 
varied colouring, of which they are now destitute ; 



254 



PTOLEMAIC ARCHITECTURE. 



but could we see both restored to their pristine 
beauty, I think it would be allowed that the Pharaonic 
were better adapted for a temple, where simplicity 
should be the characteristic ; and the Ptolemaic for a 
palace or a festive hall. The columns — seventeen 
feet four inches in circumference — of this beautiful 
portico are now excavated to their bases, and the 
effect of twenty-four lofty columns, covered with long 
lines of hieroglyphics and sculpture, with circular 
bases and different shaped capitals, beautiful varia- 
tions of the old bell-formed capital, is very imposing. 
Kich as the sculpture and hieroglyphics, which en- 
tirely cover the walls as well as columns of this tem- 
ple, certainly are, and striking as must have been 
their effect when coloured, the inferiority of the exe- 
cution of the sculpture, especially of the hieroglyphics, 
detracts sadly from their effect. 

In the part recently excavated we observed a curi- 
ous group of sculpture, a king between a Typhonian 
figure and, I think, Kneph, drawing a cord of a net, 
filled with aquatic birds, plants — the lotus and pa- 
pyrus, the latter with its foliage — and fish, probably 
the latus, followed by a divinity, Seph, almost erased, 
with a star for a head-ornament. Beneath is a line 
of the divinities of the Nile, with the papyrus flower 
head-dress, alternately with a divinity with three 
reeds for a head-dress, carrying lotus-flowers in their 
hands. 



SCULPTURES. 



255 



The colour of the exterior of the temple, especially, 
as I have said, under the cornice, is better preserved 
than in the interior ; the sculptures generally repre- 
sent offerings to the ram-headed divinity, Chnouphis, 
who, with Neboo, a goddess with a vulture on her 
head, and globe, horns, and asp, and their son Hake, 
formed the triad of the place. 

It is very difficult to make out the sculpture, which 
is considered to be a Zodiac, on the roof, from the pre- 
sent great height of the temple, and the mud wall 
opposite it diminishing the light. 

In the most northern aisle is a god with a human 
head, and divinities standing on disks. In the next 
but one is a scarabseus, doubtless for the crab. In the 
centre aisle, as is very common in Egyptian temples, 
is a line of the goddess Eileithyia, or vultures with 
outstretched wings, with a line of hieroglyphics be- 
tween each. In the next aisle a scarabgeus again : 
three jackals, or dogs, three cynocephali, and an ani- 
mal with a globe on its head, in a boat, may be a 
goat, but it is much injured. In the next, I think a 
goat with globe on its head, serpents, and decidedly the 
scorpion, and, I think, a bull, or cow, accompanied by 
gods and goddesses. The last, south aisle, contains 
a winged goat, a goat and a hawk-headed sphinx, 
cynocephali and serpents. 

It is to be regretted that the Arab houses, amongst 
which this beautiful portico is almost buried, are not 



256 



CONTRA-LATON. 



cleared away. The large wall, however, round the 
facade protects the temple, and in the midst of the 
bustling town you may there enjoy solitude. 

Thirty years ago I visited some ruins three miles 
from Esneh. The way to them lies through the rich 
verdant plain, bounded by a fine range of hills, one very 
high in the centre called Gebobah. The remains con- 
sisted of one column only, and a doorway ornamented 
with sculpture, with a vast heap of ruins and stones 
around. I mention these as they are not noticed in 
the Handbook, otherwise I refrain generally from 
mentioning ruins not worth seeing ; and which, 
doubtless, are now destroyed, though my note records 
that the richness and beauty of the country recom- 
pensed us for a long and hot walk. 

The next day, with a slight breeze, we passed 
El Helleh, situated under a grove of palms, on a 
narrow slip of land which separates the Nile from 
a low monotonous range of hills. Our view to the 
west was bounded only by the horizon. The Hand- 
book describes some unimportant remains of the 
ancient city of Contra-Laton. The talcose stones 
found in this neighbourhood are used in the making 
the large earthen vessels used by the peasants for 
cooking. The breeze failing, we soon had to track, 
and, towards evening, passed the range of hills called 
Sheraineh, with caves or tombs excavated in the 
rock, and adorned with rather a picturesque sepulchre 
of a Sheakh, 



IRRIGATION OF THE LAND. 



257 



We overtook a Nubian boat, and because all our 
men went on it to pass the rope instead of only two, 
a terrible quarrel arose. The Nubians took up their 
sticks, and our sailors did the same in self-defence ; 
and we thought there would have been a grand battle, 
but our clever dragoman succeeded in pacifying them. 
The Nubians are said to be very quarrelsome ; but all 
the Arabs like a row, though, amongst the fellahs, it 
seldom ends in a fight. 

We slept last night at the village of Sabaten, and, 
towing again this morning, passed early El Kenan. 
At ten, a slight breeze sprang up to enliven us, as the 
scenery was very tame, the country little cultivat- 
ed, and scarcely a tree to be seen ; we observed a 
small ruined pyramid, called El Koola, on our right, 
and on our left an uninteresting range of hills, which 
are now, for the first time, of sandstone. In lower 
Egypt the shadoofs, or poles and buckets, are seldom 
seen more than two together ; but to-day I counted 
one group of seven, each bucket having its man. 
These raised the water a certain height, and then seven 
more shadoofs emptied it on the land, which appears 
to be about twenty feet above the level of the river. 
Such is the depth here of the black, rich, alluvial 
soil, even now that the river is far from being at its 
lowest point. 

The peasants work naked, with cotton caps on their 
heads, and small coverings round their waists. Some- 

s 



258 



EL KAB — EILEITHYIAS. 



times they quarrelled with our sailors for interrupting 
them, and their screams drowned even the creaking 
of their shadoofs. In the evening we arrived at El 
Kab, the ancient Eileithyias. The inhabitants might 
well make Lucina their deity, to mitigate to females 
in interesting situations the cheerless aspect of their 
country. A lofty mud wall, imposing in its extent 
and thickness, surrounds the site of the ancient town. 
In the dreary, wavy, low hill, I counted about thirty 
tombs. The strip of land that separates the river from 
the Great Eastern Desert is very narrow, and, imme- 
diately before the town, uncultivated. The chain of 
hills ends in rather a picturesque rock. 

With the aid of a donkey, in twenty minutes we 
arrived at the tombs, and visited all of any interest. 
The most important little tomb, with its roof cut in 
the shape of an arch, and its three mutilated divini- 
ties in the recess at the end, is much injured, since I 
copied some of the paintings in it on my first visit up 
the Nile. Whether this change is owing to paper 
impressions having been taken of the paintings, or the 
whole breadth of the tomb being open to the air, I 
cannot say ; but it was painful to see the number of 
English names which now deface the interesting 
agricultural scene. 

Though this celebrated painting has little merit as 
a specimen of Egyptian art, it is a complete picture 
of Egyptian- farming — the ploughing and sowing. 



AGRICULTURAL SCENE. 



259 



The hieroglyphic inscription, as translated by Cham- 
pollion, says — 

"Work, oxen, work ; 
Bushels for you, and bushels for your master." 

Then there is the reaping the wheat with the 
sickle, and plucking up the more lofty doorah by the 
roots, the grain of the latter being separated from the 
stalks on the thrashing-floor by being drawn through 
a pronged instrument, while the wheat was trod out 
by oxen, as at the present day. The Egyptians had 
a song for this also — 

" Thrash ye for yourselves, 
Thrash ye for yourselves, O oxen ; 
Thrash ye for yourselves ; 
Thrash ye for yourselves ; 
The straw which is yours ; 
The corn which is your master's." 

Birch 's " Egyptian Hieroglyphics" 266. 

Then the winnowing, and measuring, and housing 
the grain are represented, and the car and horse of 
the proprietor show that he is overlooking the work. 
There is no earlier representation of horses on Egyp- 
tian monuments, though at a later period this coun- 
try was celebrated for chariots and horses. 

The other subjects in this tomb are also deserving 
attention. The various representations of boats, one 
with a chariot on board ; the catching geese and 
fish in a net, and drying them ; and in the last com- 
partment, the funeral ceremonies and . presentations 

s 2 



260 REPRESENTATION OF HOUSE AND GARDENS. 

of offerings to Osiris. On the opposite side, the owner 
of the tomb and his wife are seated, with cynocephali 
under their feet ; and men and women, with the 
flowers and buds of the lotus-flower, are seated on 
their heels at a banquet. Servants are giving them 
refreshments, and the ladies have musicians with a 
harp and pipe to amuse them. 

In another tomb, there is a long inscription of 
hieroglyphics, from which I copied the titles of 
Amosis and Amunoph I. In another tomb, unfortu- 
nately much injured, are fragments of cattle, and a 
representation of a plan of a house, field, and gardens, 
with palms, sycamores, and two obelisks ; the de- 
ceased lying on his bier, and women mourning, throw- 
ing dirt on their heads, and other funeral mysteries ; 
Osiris attended by Anubis. 

Climbing up the hill, I came to a small tomb with 
fragments of hieroglyphics well executed on the out- 
side, containing recesses for mummies, and on the 
walls two of the small Stellas (much injured) so com- 
mon in collections, affording an opportunity of seeing 
how they were placed in the tombs, being merely 
portions of the natural rock smoothed and prepared 
for the sculptor or painter. 

I visited two other tombs, but found nothing of 
any interest. There are some remains of very small 
temples of the eighteenth and Ptolemaic dynasties, 
about two or three miles up the valley, which I visited 



TEMPLE OF EDFOO. 



261 



on my first voyage up the Nile, and, recollecting that 
they were of little importance, I regretted less being 
unable to visit them again. 

Leaving the village of El Kab, the country is very 
uninteresting, the range of hills on our left very low, 
and on our right the bank for some distance was 
covered with acacias, and a few palms filled with 
feathered songsters, who made a prodigious but not 
very musical noise. 

The pyramidal towers or propyla of the temple 
of Edfoo, the ancient Apollinopolis Magna, are very 
imposing from the river, from their great height, 
compared with the low part of the village around 
them. The great towers are still more imposing 
when you approach them — stronger fortresses to 
protect a priesthood, or keep in subjection a re- 
fractory city, could not well be devised. They are 
now cleared almost to their bases, and on the front of 
them the king is seen sacrificing prisoners, much de- 
faced, but I observed one with negro features. The 
exterior of the temple is cleared to its foundation, but 
not the outside of the lofty wall which enclosed it, 
which prevented our judging so well of its architectural 
effect. The rows of divinities on the facade are 
very striking. The offerings are chiefly to the hawk- 
headed god, Hor-Hat. On the bold cornice round the 
temple this god, as Agathodaemon, represented by the 
winged globe and serpents so constantly seen in 



262 



FINE ARCHITECTURAL VIEWS. 



Egyptian temples, alternately with the two erect 
winged serpents, forms almost the only ornament. A 
walk on the enclosing wall, and at its base, should be 
made, to see how carefully and beautifully every part 
of this edifice is finished. The interesting sculpture 
now discovered there I will mention further on. 

Every portion of the interior of this great temple 
is now cleared out, and, immense as its size is, 
scarcely a yard of wall is uncovered with sculpture 
and hieroglyphics. 

The view on entering the area before the portico is 
very imposing. The ravages of about two thousand 
one hundred years are perceptible on every column, 
and on every figure and ornament, but the effect of 
the architecture is not destroyed. There are half a 
dozen varieties of the Ptolemaic capitals, which adorn 
the thirty well-proportioned columns on each side, 
including those at the angles, which, with the six at 
the entrance, form a corridor round three sides of the 
court. The wall, and some of the columns on the 
north-west side, are out of perpendicular, from the 
pressure of the earth outside. The architraves, cor- 
nices, and roof are almost perfect, and carefully 
covered with sculpture. 

On the other, the fourth, side of the area is the 
magnificent portico of the temple, with six columns 
in front, and a dozen more behind these, partly visible 
in perspective. The screens with which the front six 



SPLENDID FORTICO. 



2G3 



are joined, to about half their height, have not a bad 
effect, even injured as is now the sculpture, inculcat- 
ing to the people the usual example of the king 
making offerings to the divinities Hor-Hat and Athor. 
Bound the area, in the lowest row, are sacred boats 
and a long line of divinities offering vases and flowers. 
Above these are bold and, for the period, well-exe- 
cuted hieroglyphics in relief, containing the name of 
Euergetes II., and a representation of the great propy- 
la. The sculpture on the back of the latter attracts 
attention, from its size and boldness. 

The portico is very grand, with its eighteen 
columns, measuring at- their base twenty-two feet 
in circumference, without counting their circular 
bases, resting on square slabs. Some of the 
capitals differ from any others seen elsewhere. 
The central avenue is partly uncovered, removed, 
or fallen ; as the slabs of the roof thus exposed are 
not covered with hieroglyphics, which they otherwise 
would have been. The light thus admitted affords 
splendid effects of light and shadow. The fine pro- 
portions of this portico, the gloom and grandeur of 
the broad shadows of the majestic columns, and the 
feeling that we have here the nearest approach to 
what an Egyptian temple must have been, are very 
imposing. It was delightful to return again and 
again from the glaring sunshine to the refreshing 
coolness of this noble portico. 



264 



INTERESTING SCULPTURE. 



Better specimens of sculpture will be seen at Thebes 
and elsewhere, but although all the colouring is gone 
the .architecture and the decorations are truly magni- 
ficent. There is much interesting sculpture represent- 
ing the boats of the Sun and Moon, and the twelve 
hours of the day, and divinities spearing the serpent 
Aphophis. (See note, p. 209.) In the lowest row 
of sculpture on the walls there are some curious re- 
presentations of divinities of the Nile. 

This portico leads into the Hall of Assembly, which 
is adorned with twelve beautiful columns, sixteen 
feet in circumference at their widest part, but they 
diminish gracefully towards their bases. The capi- 
tals have the papyrus outline, with the internal Pto- 
lemaic variations. Hor-Hat is represented on the 
columns with the body of a lion, the head of a hawk 
on which is the pschent, and the staff of purity in his 
paw. The bases of the walls are decorated prettily 
with the lotus-flower. There are small rooms leading 
to the exterior on each side, but containing nothing 
of importance, and only partly cleared of soil. The 
Hall of Assembly leads into a corridor with small 
rooms on each side. The corridor leads into a sanc- 
tuary with eight small rooms around it, containing 
little of interest. I observed the divinities Khem, 
Khonso, and Thoth, but Hor-Hat is always the chief 
god ; one room contains long inscriptions of hierogly- 
phics, and others are not cleared. The sanctuary is 



ELEGANT GRANITE SHRINE. 



265 



an isolated temple of itself with its cornice. In one cor- 
ner of it is a very elegant granite shrine, about eight 
or nine feet high, ornamented with two winged globes 
and serpents, with a dedication to Hor-Hat, with 
three lines of inscriptions on each side, beginning 
with, " This is to Hor-Hat, the good god, lord of 
heaven, and lord of the world ; " and containing the 
names and titles of Amyrtseus, or Nectanebo, the only 
king of the twenty-eighth dynasty, who reigned about 
one hundred and sixty years before the oldest Ptole- 
maic name on this temple. The sculpture on the 
walls represents Ptolemy Euergetes making offerings 
to Hor-Hat, behind whom is Athor ; and there is a 
row of the divinities of the Nile with the lotus-flower 
head-dress. 

At the back of the temple is a well-preserved por- 
trait of a Ptolemy making offerings to Pasht, the 
goddess with the lioness's head, disk, and serpents, 
behind whom is an immense tablet of hieroglyphics? 
containing the name but not the prsenomen of the 
king. Physcon's name is on the opposite wall, where 
also is a Ptolemy, with name erased, but accompanied 
by Cleopatra, his wife. On the immense side, or 
west wall of the enclosure, beginning from the north, 
the recent excavations present some interesting 
sculptures. 

In the first compartment is a boat, ornamented 
with a hawk wearing the disk, and Hor-Hat wear- 



266 RECENTLY DISCOVERED SCULPTURE. 

ing the pschent, and accompanied by Isis, spearing, 
and with a rope catching a crocodile. The second 
and third contain similar representations ; the animals 
are, I think, serpents. In the fourth, a hippopotamus, 
though the size is more that of a pig ; the divinity 
with Hor-Hat is probably Athor. The fifth, sixth, 
and seventh are defaced. One divinity in the boat 
(probably Typhon) is represented with a kind of 
jackal's head, showing his tongue and teeth. Horus 
is seated on a throne before one boat, and Horus with 
Isis behind him, and Hor-Hat, are spearing a kneel- 
ing figure with arms bound together. 

The next subject above contains three boats, and 
beneath is a boat with a sail containing Hor-Hat 
spearing or contending with the evil demon Aphophis, 
and Horus and Isis kneeling. Further on are six 
divinities with disks, or tambourines, in their hands, 
and Hor-Hat spearing a larger representation of the 
hippopotamus, one of the symbols of the god of the 
lower regions, before Osiris. The faces of these divi- 
nities are all defaced, their outlines only traceable. 
I name them from the hieroglyphics only. The faces 
of the figures in the lowest row of the enclosing wall 
are apparently only injured by time, as if they had 
been for ages covered with earth, but all the figures 
of the upper rows have evidently had their faces and 
head-dresses picked designedly. 

There are other mysterious objects deserving of 



IMPORTANT INSCRIPTIONS. 



267 



attention. Near a small boat with a sail is a sphinx, 
with a human head, on two naked men. Between 
almost all these boats are long tablets of hieroglyphics, 
and below them a line of divinities of the Nile. On 
the exterior of the temple on this the western side is a 
representation of Horus and Thoth pouring emblems 
of life and purity over the king. 

The effect of all this sculpture even without colour- 
ing is very fine. The vast space of richly-decorated 
wall, without other ornament than the beading and 
cornice, is only disagreeably broken by the water con- 
duits, ornamented with lions' heads. The space be- 
tween the enclosing wall and the temple is about five 
paces, and between the former and the portico only 
two ; and yet even there the sculpture is as rich. 
The number of hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered 
by these important excavations is very considerable, 
especially at the back of the temple, where there are 
a dozen of forty long lines each, alluding to the Ptole- 
mies, whose names occur continually in them, blocks 
being generally left for their distinguishing titles. 
Between the temple and enclosing wall on the eastern 
side are several troughs and a well. 

The exterior of the enclosing wall is also covered 
with sculpture, which the peasants were clearing, 
making such a dust that it was scarcely possible to 
examine the sculpture. The small temple south of 
the great temple is now filled with rubbish. A half- 



268 



TROUBLESOME PEASANTS. 



defaced Typhonian figure shows it was one of those 
temples called by Champollion lying-in places. 

The peasants of Edfoo had ever the reputation of 
being the most ill-behaved rascals to strangers in the 
whole valley of the Nile ; and I have always found 
that they deserved the character. While I was pay- 
ing one man for a scarabaeus, another picked up my 
spectacles, and I never saw them again ; and when 
making notes between the enclosing wall of the temple 
— a safe place for an assault, as I could not follow 
them — two stones of considerable size were thrown at 
me. They appear to be as quarrelsome among them- 
selves, as I observed two serious rows as I passed 
through the village. 



269 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Wilder and more Desolate Scenery — Ruins of an Ancient Arab Town 
and Mosk — Village of Massaheed — Dates, the Chief Wealth 
of the Country — Quarries of Gebel Silsilis — Mode of Excavation 
— Tombs, Chapels, and Grottoes — Beautiful View — Rocky Bed of 
the River — Temple of Ombos — Plan of the Temple — The Osshi 
Plant and the Castor Oil Shrub — Asouan — Picturesque Scene — 
Journey to the Quarries — The Obelisk — Tombs of Derwishes and 
Sheakhs — Mosk of Amer — Island of Elephantine — Extensive 
Ruins — View from the West Side of the Island — The Stone Pier 
— Arrival of the Comte de Paris and the Due de Chartres — 
Visit to the Cataracts — The Little Cataract — Sailing up the * 
Rapids — Passing the Principal Fall —Clamour of the Nubians — 
Rash Attempt of an Englishman to swim down the Cataract — 
Island of Philee — Ruins of Temples — Roman Gateway — View 
from the West Side of the Great Temple — Interesting Sculptures 
— Beautiful Ptolemaic Portico. 

After leaving Edfoo, our view to the west was 
bounded by the horizon, but we had on our left a 
range of sand-hills, and numerous groups of palms. 
The hills became more picturesque towards evening, 
especially at Gebel Sesay, which rises precipitately 
from the river, separated from it only by a fringe of 
cultivated land. The river narrows rapidly, and the 



270 RUINS OF AN ANCIENT* ARAB TOWN. 

general character of the views is wilder and more de- 
solate. The upper part of some of these rocks near 
the river being in many places quite perpendicular, so 
different from the general monotonous form of 
the sand-hills adjoining, leads me to think that they 
have been quarried. 

Shortly afterwards, on the slope of one of these 
hills, we saw the extensive and picturesque ruins of 
an ancient Arab town, called Booayb, with very thick 
walls ; and observed, near the summit of the hill, a 
large round tower, wide at the base, and gradually 
narrowing. There appeared, also, to be the ruins of 
a mosk with arches. The town may well be deserted, 
as there is barely enough arable land in it to sustain 
a single family. 

After such a desert the village of Massaheed, which 
, we soon passed, surrounded by a beautiful grove of 
palm-trees, was like an oasis. The beauty of the 
groves of acacias and palms is more striking here 
than in Lower Egypt, from their contrast with the 
dreary deserts which surround and often isolate 
them. The dates, which are now the chief wealth 
of the country, are much superior to those of Lower 
Egypt, and great quantities of them are exported 
there. 

We soon arrived at Gebel Silsilis, or the mountain 
of the chain ; it is very interesting for its immense quar- 
ries, which furnished the greatest part of the stone 



QUARRIES OF GEBEL SILSILIS. 



271 



of which the gigantic temples of Thebes, and other 
towns, were built. Being close to the river, the 
expense of carriage to the different places could not 
be great ; and from most of the quarries that are at a 
greater distance from the river there are partially 
inclined roads, which would diminish the difficulty of 
conveying such immense masses to the water. It 
does not appear to have been generally their plan to 
excavate the stone, as they did their granite, which 
was probably conveyed by land, of or nearly the 
shape required for the temples, as the Sicilians did 
their columns at Selinunte, but to have cut and con- 
veyed away the stone in large slabs. I observed, 
however, a sphinx, rudely executed, in the quarries 
of the eastern bank, and close adjoining to it the traces 
of its form in the rock from which it had been exca- 
vated. The evenness of the texture of the stone is 
very remarkable, but not being so smooth as the lime- 
stone of which the most ancient edifices of Egypt were 
constructed, and more absorbing of colour, the Egyptians 
were obliged to cover it with a coat of calcareous com- 
position before they coloured it. The number of work- 
men, and their superintendents, employed here, will 
account for the beautiful chapels and tombs which 
still exist. 

The first we examined, on the western side of the 
river, is a corridor, seventy-seven feet three inches 
long, and ten feet eight inches wide, hewn out of the 



272 



SCULPTURES. 



rock, with five entrances, formed by four very mas- 
sive pillars. The central entrance is ornamented 
with the winged globe and serpents, and hieroglyphics 
containing the name of King Horus, of the eighteenth 
dynasty. At the side of the end entrance are exca- 
vated small recesses, in each of which are traces 
of three figures ; and at the north end of the corri- 
dor are traces of six figures. The west wall is 
divided into large stellse, or tablets, ornamented with 
figures, now much defaced, but Horus is seen mak- 
ing offerings to Amun Ea and Savak, the lord of Heni, 
or Silsilis; and there are hieroglyphics containing the 
names of various other kings of the eighteenth dy- 
nasty, and statues cut in the rock. A door leads 
from the corridor into a sanctuary thirteen feet 
square, and in a large recess at the end of it are 
traces of divinities — Amun Ea, apparently, in the 
centre. The sculpture in this room is rather less in- 
jured. Eameses II. is represented making offerings 
to Amun Ea, Maut, and Khonso, and also to Pthah. 
The king in his shrine, preceded by troops and cap- 
tives, may be distinguished, with difficulty, at the 
southern end ; and there are three rows of mummy- 
shaped divinities, without head-dresses, holding the 
staff of purity in their hands. Five minutes further 
south are some beautiful tablets on the rock, repre- 
senting Eameses I., and Sheshonk II., and Eameses 
III., making offerings to the Theban triad. 



PICTURESQUE CHAPELS. 



273 



Passing two of no importance, we then examined 
a small grotto, containing four chambers, with figures 
in recesses. The entrance hears the name of Thoth- 
mes III., and is well executed. 

One of these grottoes was delightfully situated at 
some height above the river, and the breeze was so 
cool and refreshing, and the view so beautiful of the 
winding Nile, and distant plains, groves, and hills, 
that I sat for some time enjoying it. 

With a slight breeze we sailed to the southern 
grottoes. The lines of stone, like natural strata, that 
have been cut away, are still distinguishable. The 
tombs in the perpendicular rock are tempting to climb 
to, but I knew from experience that they were not 
worth visiting. 

The rocks became, for a few minutes, more tame, 
and then we reached a most picturesque group of 
open chapels, ornamented with beautiful columns, 
and mingled with wild broken rocks, shrubs, and 
herbage, forming a splendid subject for an artist. 
The view from them is very interesting, of the quar- 
ries, the sand hills of the Arabian desert, and of the nar- 
row river, here not above one thousand one hundred 
feet wide, where the Nile is supposed to have broken 
through impeding rocks, similar to what we see at 
Asouan. The architecture of all these chapels is the 
same, being recesses thirteen feet wide and eight feet 
deep, including the two beautiful columns, with bud- 

T 



274 QUARRIES ON THE EAST BANK. 

shaped capitals, which ornament each angle. Over 
the elegant cornice is a row of serpents with disks. 
In the first of the chapels King Pthahmen is present- 
ing incense and flowers to Amun Ra, Maut, and 
Khonso ; on the north of which the king is address- 
ing Re and Pthah, followed by the god Nilus 
with the lotus-flower head-dress, who may well be 
worshipped here where he is so serviceable. Under 
these figures is a long tablet of hieroglyphics. 

In the next, Rameses II. is making offerings to the 
same divinities. On the north side, in the second 
row, he is offering incense to Osiris and Isis, and on 
the south side his queen is offering a sistrum to a 
curious Typhonian figure — hieroglyphics illegible— 
with a human head, globe, horns, and serpents, 
with the body of a bear, accompanied by Thoth. 

The next chapel is much injured, only one column 
remaining. King Sethi's name may be distinguished, 
but the sculpture is defaced. 

The quarries of the Eastern desert are almost seen 
sufficiently from the river, as there are no grottoes of 
importance ; but I explored them on my first visit to 
Egypt. The quarries there are very extensive. After 
passing the statue of the sphinx I have mentioned, 
we came to an excavation of immense extent, a cor- 
ridor, with columns, like the one I have mentioned 
on the western bank, but never finished. We after- 
wards climbed a hill, and had a fine view of the 



BOAT ON THE ROCKS. 



275 



plain. On one side the desert, and on the other 
verdure, and, near the borders of the river, groves of 
palm-trees. 

The ancient as Avell as the modern inhabitants 
were more anxious for the durability of their tombs than 
their houses, as none of the latter remain. The Arab 
cottages are rude and barbarous, affording neither 
heat nor shade, but the tombs of the Sheakhs, and 
especially of the saints, which adorn almost every 
village, and many hills, are not only strongly built, 
but have some pretensions to architectural beauty, 
being always covered with a small but picturesque 
dome. 

As we dragged away from Gebel Silsilis, we had a 
proof of the rocky nature of the bed of the river, 
strongly corroborative of Sir G. Wilkinson's suppo- 
sition that here was anciently the first cataract of the 
Nile. Our boat got amongst rocks, and, if it had not 
been very strong, we should have had water in her. 
For some time we went bumping from rock to rock, 
the men screaming, and the reis in great alarm for 
his boat. I was glad when a breeze sprung up, and 
enabled us to stear clear of such a deceptive shore, 
apparently of the soft mud of the Nile, but, under- 
neath the surface of the water, sandstone rocks. 
Early in the morning a calm obliged the men to push 
the boat along with their poles, which is a sad dis- 
turbance of rest, though the sailors, at that early 

t2 



276 PICTURESQUE TEMPLE OF OMBOS. 

hour, did refrain from the chants they generally sing 
when thus engaged. 

The temple of Ombos is situated a considerable 
height above the river. For a weak man, it was 
fatiguing climbing up to it. The view from the 
summit is extensive, but flat ; the beautiful ruins, 
however, make it interesting. The temple of Ombos, 
founded in the reign of Ptolemy Philometor, is cer- 
tainly one of the most elegant and picturesque ruins 
on the Nile. A small stone doorway, bearing the 
name of Thothmes III., leads into the brick enclo- 
sure which surrounds what is called in the hierogly- 
phic inscription, the temple of Savak. 

The principal temple stands alone, without any 
mud-huts to detract from its appearance ; and for 
the remains of colour on the cornices, roofs, and archi- 
traves, for the richness of the interesting sculpture, 
and the grandeur of the architecture, it is deserving 
of great admiration. The plan is different from any 
other in the valley of the Nile, being a kind of double 
temple, in which the crocodile god, Savak, was wor- 
shipped with Aroeris ; and still retaining the fragments 
of the cornices of a double entrance, each ornamented 
with the winged globe, the colouring of which partly 
remains, and the roofs of the avenues they lead into 
were decorated with representations of Eileithyias. 

Thirteen columns of the portico are still standing 
in three rows, with different variations of the lotus 



OTHER RUINS. 



277 



capitals. Savak and Aroeris, the crocodile and hawk- 
headed divinities, will be seen on the walls. The 
roof still retains much of the colouring. The sculp- 
ture on the architraves is interesting, representing 
sacred boats, and between them the divinity with two 
serpents for a head-dress, holding in each hand a ser- 
pent ; and there are gods with head-dresses of globes 
containing stars. Some of these figures retain the 
squares with which provincial and inexpert artists 
used to assist their drawing. 

The portico leads into a chamber, where the capi- 
tals of the columns which decorated it may still be 
seen above the sand, and there are traces of at least 
three other rooms. The masses of architraves lying 
. about are of an immense size. There is a fine bold 
fragment of masonry at the corner of the enclosure, 
ornamented with sculpture, representing, on the south 
side, the king making offerings to Savak and Aroeris. 
The side of this ruin towards the river is in form 
almost like a Norman tower, and is richly decorated ; 
the king making offerings to different divinities, and 
in the centre, or recess part of the tower, the king is 
seen seated, and there are rich decorations of serpents 
alternately with emblems of life and purity. 

After leaving Ombos, our voyage was wearisome as 
we tracked along the narrow and uninteresting river, 
there being no boats to enliven it — as in Lower Egypt 
— and few inhabitants to be seen. The country is 



278 



SCENERY OF ASOUAN. 



quite Nubian in character, the banks consisting gene- 
rally of little strips of cultivated land, the western 
desert reaching almost to the river, affording certainly 
a striking contrast of colour to the magnificent date- 
trees on the bank. This tree has often here five or 
six stems growing from the root, and is far more beau- 
tiful than the palm of Lower Egypt. 

We passed a low range of hills on our left, called 
Gebel Akabeh, but very monotonous compared to the 
bold limestone cliffs of Lower Egypt. Sometimes the 
desert reaches to the banks on both sides of the river. 

The osshi plant grows in great quantities, and 
the castor oil shrub, eight feet high, which furnishes oil 
to soften the effects of a baking sun on the generally 
naked bodies of the peasants. If it were not for the fre- , 
quent groves of palm-trees, and occasionally strips of 
cultivated land, we might be sailing through a desert. 

The views improved gradually as the sandstone 
changed into granite, and we approached the fine 
scenery of Asouan. The rocks of granite in the 
Island of Elephantine opposite, and the granite boul- 
ders mixed with the masonry of ancient buildings, 
the groves of palm-trees, with yellow hills behind, 
the walls of a partly Eoman and partly Saracenic 
bath, and the hills around covered with Arab ruins, 
are very picturesque. On the quay were half a 
dozen wrecks of large boats, some the work of the 
cataract, others repairing ; and about a dozen 



PICTURESQUE GROUPS. 



279 



boats were loading and unloading, mostly bales of 
calico, which are sent from here across the desert to 
Shendy and Sennaar, and other places in the south. 
The tents of the owners, the groups of the Nubian mer- 
chants in their white turbans, the picturesque natives 
of Asouan squatting on the ground, smoking their 
shebooks ; the camels waiting sadly for their loads, as 
if aware of the terrible journey across the desert, 
where so many perish ; a few donkeys as lively and 
strong, and, what is a novelty, almost as well capa- 
risoned as the donkeys in Cairo, formed a picturesque 
scene. But the noise of the Arab porters, of the 
vendors of poultry, charcoal, antiquities, ornaments, 
and arms, and the screams and quarrels which arose 
. whenever there was any question of money, or back- 
sheesh, created a din which at times was rather over- 
powering. 

The Island of Elephantine is a more quiet place to 
stay at, and there is a tolerably hard sandy beach to 
walk on. The granite quarries are well worthy of a visit. 
The road to them is interesting ; passing the Arab 
wall built by Amer, the lieutenant of the Caliph 
Omar, and then over the vast brick remains of the 
ancient town. The bleak appearance of the desert, 
the granite boulders cropping out wildly in every 
direction, and the ruins of mosks and other buildings 
with pretensions to architecture, being constructed, 
many of them, with circular arches, and especially a 



280 



OBELISK AT ASOUAN. 



view of these buildings before we arrived at the obe- 
lisk, were very picturesque. The obelisk, which is 
the chief attraction of the quarries, is a puzzle to 
travellers, as there are lines upon it four or five 
inches deep, with forty or fifty little holes two and 
three inches wide, and one inch and a half between 
each, as if, probably, for simultaneous blows with in- 
struments ; but these grooves do not appear deep 
enough for the action of water, The Egyptian obe- 
lisks were reduced to their required dimensions be- 
fore they were removed from the quarries. 

We visited the groups of Dervishes' and Sheakhs' 
tombs, some with cufic inscriptions, which had such 
a picturesque effect in the distance. Many of them 
have pointed arches, but the architecture of most of 
them consisted of four arches, with four or more 
smaller ones over these, and over the latter a 
dome. 

We visited the mosk of Amer, which is adorned 
with circular arches, of which several remain, and 
four monolithic granite columns. The view from 
it is very wild and grand, over the immense cemetery 
with its numerous domes and tombstones, and to- 
wards the river the granite rocks of the cataract, the 
lofty sandy hills behind the Island of Elephantine, and 
below them other ruins, and the granite islands in the 
river, with scarcely any cultivated land, or anything 
green visible, but extensive groves of palm-trees, 



ISLAND OF ELEPHANTINE. 



281 



forming a striking contrast to the terrible wildness of 
the ruins and barren hills around them. The Island 
of Elephantine is still worth visiting, though the 
temples which adorned it are destroyed. There are 
remains of Roman quays, mixed with projecting boul- 
ders of granite. Amongst the vast extent of brick 
ruins there is a much injured sitting granite statue, 
and two sides of a granite gateway, ornamented with 
sculpture, representing the son of Alexander the 
Great making offerings to the God Kneph. At the 
highest point of the mounds of brick and pottery 
there is a fine view towards the cataract. The gra- 
nite hills and numerous little islands being of a dark, 
almost black, colour, form a striking contrast to the 
hills behind, covered with deep-yellow sand. The 
view from the west side of Elephantine is very beau- 
tiful ; the granite islands rise more boldly from the 
river, and the contrast of colour between the palm- 
trees and the deep-yellow sand on the hill crowned 
with a Sheakh's tomb, is very striking. The view 
of Asouan, from Elephantine, is also very pictu- 
resque. 

We had a delightful row round the island ; the 
granite rocks in the river, and the groves of palms, 
formed continually picturesque scenes. On a rock 
at the south end of Elephantine, we observed traces 
of its having been quarried. * On one of the granite 
rocks rising from the river, on the east side of the 



282 PREPARATIONS FOR PASSING THE CATARACT. 

island, I observed, inscribed in very large hierogly- 
phics, the name of Psammitichus II., confirming Hero- 
dotus's account of his visit to this district. The 
stone pier is Ptolemaic or Roman, many of the mas- 
sive stones having fragments of sculpture and names 
on them, and evidently brought from other buildings. 
In one part of the pier is a doorway leading to the 
staircase of the nilometer, but from the boat we were 
in we did not observe any sculpture. 

The first two days we were at Asouan the reis of 
the cataract was engaged in taking a boat across the 
rapids. Then the Comte de Paris and the Due de 
Chartres arrived in a magnificent boat of the Pasha 
of Egypt's, generally used for his harem, towed by a 
large steamer. Such a compliment to the powers 
that may be, is a proof of the sagacity of Said 
Pasha. The boat was far too large to pass the cata- 
racts, and the reis was engaged another day, shewing 
them the boats they could have for their Nubian 
voyage. They engaged seven, and furnished them 
with the furniture from the Pasha's boat ; but doubt- 
less they would find other occupiers in the Nubian 
boats, which would make them regret they had not 
hired a dahabeeah at Cairo. 

It is to be regretted there is no fixed tariff for 
boats passing the cataract. Half a dozen of the reis 
came to our boat, and, after partaking of coffee, they 
began to bargain, their principle being to extort from 



ARAB BARGAINERS. 



283 



each traveller as much as they can. They asked us 
twenty pounds, and we offered them four pounds. 
After a long discussion, without which no Arab bar- 
gain is ever made, they came down to ten pounds; but 
as I refused to give them more than six, they went 
away, and I said I should refer the matter to the 
Government. The next day they consented to my 
price, and I agreed also to give about one pound a 
month for a pilot to the second cataract and back. 
Considerable preparations were made for the passage 
of the cataract. Our decks were cleared for action ; 
tents taken down, divans packed up, and, what does 
not say much for the reputation of the Nubians for 
honesty, my servants were most careful in removing 
out of their way everything that was portable. 

With a fresh breeze we sailed towards the cata- 
ract, and stopped at a sand-bank, near the Bab- 
el-Sehayl. The scenery was wild and picturesque. 
South-east of us, near the little cataract, making a great 
noise for its size, were low but picturesque granite 
hills, and an Arab boat waiting to pass the cataract ; 
towards the west other rapids, and a long range of 
yellow hills, granite boulders cropping out from the 
yellow glaring sand that has drifted there from the 
• Libyan Desert, and below them an Arab village. 
Towards the north the rocks are bolder ; one like the 
ruins of a castle. Nor was verdure entirely wanting, 



284 



PASSING THE CATARACT. 



for, as we advanced, a few stunted acacias and palm- 
trees were mingled with the rocks. 

We passed the first little fall of the cataract, with 
the assistance of about sixty Arabs, commanded by- 
half a dozen Sheakhs, no one apparently with the 
chief command, but all screaming and squalling at 
once. Aided by a strong wind, they, in a few mi- 
nutes, pulled us over with a thick rope. We had 
frequently minor difficulties sailing up the smaller 
rapids. The cataract may be said, indeed, to be a 
continuation of rapids. Often five or six Arabs, 
stripped almost naked, went ashore with the rope. 
The Nubians seem a lazy set even in moments of 
great emergency. Our own reis and his crew ap- 
peared to be the only persons who cared about the 
safety of the boat, and worked with any energy. 

The views were singularly wild. The immediate 
contact we were brought into with the vast masses 
of granite, sometimes striking against them, was very 
exciting ; and the picturesque groups of Nubians in 
their white dresses and caps, some swimming in the 
river on logs of wood, fit inhabitants for such a scene, 
were very characteristic. Approaching the grand 
fall, we tried in vain to pass a narrower rapid, but 
our boat turned tail most awkwardly, and appeared # 
to be returning to Asouan. Our cataract reis 
stripped to the skin, plunged with others into the 



SCREAMING OF THE NUBIANS. 



285 



water, and soon saved us from all danger. Our 
sailors hugged the rocks on one side as closely as 
they could, the fall of water being much greater in 
the centre. 

The screaming of the Nubians is certainly the most 
formidable part of passing the cataract. It was quite 
a relief when they broke into a chorus, Mohamed- Allah, 
&c, as they dragged us along with cords. Soon we 
arrived at Rassihool, the great gate of the cataract, 
which looks more formidable, but is still but a mighty 
rapid, five or six feet high. Before passing this, the 
principal fall, the boat rested in a sheltered nook to 
breathe, as it were, and make preparations for the 
great struggle. 

A young brave Englishman, Mr. Daniel Cave, lost 
his life this winter in attempting to swim down this 
cataract. His companion, Mr. Morrison, M.P. for 
Plymouth, has kindly given me a history of this sad 
event. 

Early on the morning of January 30th, 1861, we 
dropped down in our "dahabeeah," from Philse to 
Mahatta, the Nubian village on the east bank above 
the rapids. We were to descend the cataract that 
day. Soon after daybreak, Cave left the "dahabeeah" 
in the small boat, or "sandal" belonging to it, and 
which, in accordance with the usual practice, had been 
entrusted to the care of two of the cataract men, and 
of a boy of about sixteen years of age, to be taken 



286 FATAL ATTEMPT TO SWIM DOWN THE CATARACT. 

down to Asouan by a different channel. They were 
instructed to land him above the so-called " upper 
gate," the last fall encountered by boats ascending 
the cataract, and to wait his orders. As he passed 
out of the "dahabeeah," he asked me to come with 
him, and take another look at the cataract ; but I had 
been up very late the night before, and was suffering 
besides from a bad sprain of my ankle, so I remained 
in bed. About an hour and a half, as near as I could 
judge, after he left the boat, I came on deck. Find- 
ing that he had not returned, and learning from our 
dragoman that he had left word for me to start with- 
out him should he not return, and that he would 
either come on board again as we passed down, or 
make his way down to Asouan in the sandal, 
after a short delay I gave orders to the reis of 
the cataract to start. We had gone but a few hun- 
dred yards, when our attention was attracted by a 
confusion in the village, and the shrill wailing of the 
women, and we saw men running after us along the 
bank. With some difficulty we got the boat's head 
round, and reached the bank. Then we heard from 
the men who had been in charge of the sandal of 
his death. 

It appeared, from their account — and it is due to 
these poor fellows that I should say that, after a very 
full inquiry, I saw no reason to disbelieve their nar- 
rative — that they had put the boat into a small bight, 



BODY FOUND. 



287 



or backwater, formed by a projection in the rock 
some hundred yards above the " upper gate." Cave 
landed, and walked towards the fall ; the two men re- 
mained in the boat, occupied in fitting a spare oar to 
the stern, to act as a temporary rudder. The Nubian 
boy left the boat, and followed out of curiosity. Pre- 
sently he came running back to say that the 
"howagee" was preparing to bathe. The men left 
the boat, and made the best of their way to where he 
was standing ; but, before they could reach him, he 
had got off his clothes, and had jumped in. For a 
moment they caught sight of his head and shoulders, 
as he allowed himself to be carried down rapidly by 
the current ; then he suddenly disappeared in the 
broken water just below the fall. For an hour they 
remained on the rock watching the eddies, expecting 
the body to appear again, but in vain. At last they 
came back to me. 

Such was the strength of the current, and so many 
the streams into which the river is divided below the 
fall, that all our efforts to recover the body were vain. 
I had almost given up the watch for it in despair, 
when, nine days after the accident, on February 8th, 
as I was visiting the posts where I had set men to 
watch in the cataract, we came upon the body, not 
far below the place where it had gone down. There 
were no marks of violence upon it, and the attitude 
was that of a person swimming as if he had struggled 
manfully to the last. 



288 



MOTIVE FOR THE ATTEMPT. 



On the following day we buried the remains in a 
grave which had been prepared in a Coptic cemetery; 
an English clergyman, then at Asouan with a party 
of travellers, read the service in the presence of all 
the Europeans on the spot, and of a very large num- 
ber of the inhabitants of the town ; and I well re- 
member, as we threw upon the coffin a few handfuls 
of the arid sand, that the bystanders who crowded 
round the grave, Moslems as well as Copts, pressed 
forward, and threw in each his handful, as if he wished 
to bear his part in the rite. 

What could have been the motive for this rash act? 
Every Nile traveller remembers the Nubian boys 
riding down the rapids mounted on their palm-logs. 
More than once Cave had spoken to me of going- 
down with them. Even the day before his death, he 
had recurred to the subject to a friend at Philse, 
though of this I was at the time unaware. He at all 
times had manifested a most daring spirit ; and it 
cannot now be determined whether he had resolved to 
attempt the feat when he left the boat that morning, 
or came to a sudden decision on reaching the spot. 

Had he, like the cataract men, availed himself of 
the support of a palm-log, the issue would, no doubt, 
have been different. 

Some days after the accident, some natives, in a 
spirit of bravado, went down the same rapid without 
their logs with impunity ; but I was informed by 



PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR. 289 



those who saw them that, not to mention the wonder- 
ful skill of all these men in the water, they keep their 
bodies as horizontal as possible, as they are swept 
along, swimming all the time ; whereas it seems that 
Cave had floated down, keeping his body upright, 
and thus no doubt was exposed to the full force of the 
under-current below the surface water beneath the fall. 

The Governor of Asouan had been, I understood, 
pipe-bearer to Fadil Pasha, the then Governor of 
Upper Egypt, to whom he had made himself very useful 
in some domestic troubles. An investigation ensued 
into the causes of the accident ; and I soon found the 
Governor to be most incapable of conducting it. A 
quarrel arose between us on my insisting that the 
three cataract men should be examined apart from 
one another, and that I should be permitted to cross- 
examine them when he had finished with them. I 
also ascertained that he had attempted to extort 
money from them and my dragoman, under threat of 
reporting them to his Government as being answer- 
able for the death of a traveller in their charge. Pre- 
tending outwardly to be anxious to assist me in every 
way, he secretly put every impediment in my path ; 
he threatened with his vengeance anyone who should 
work for me, and it was with great difficulty that I 
got together a few men to watch the cataract and the 
backwater below Asouan, for the body, and to help 
in building the grave. 

u 



290 



THE GRAVE OF THE ENGLISHMAN. 



On this I had to work with my own hands, and to 
employ the services of my crew, services willingly 
and zealously given. Much, too, I owe to the faith- 
ful service of my dragoman, Alee Mousa, of Alexan- 
dria, on this, as on subsequent occasions, when he has 
been with me ; and to kind friends at Asouan, who 
freely gave up to me their services, and the aid of 
their boats and crews. 

I duly represented the conduct of the Governor to 
the authorities at Keneh, and, after some difficulty, 
procured his dismissal ; he was, however, I learned, 
reinstated as soon as I had left Egypt. But this 
spring his extortions on travellers led to fresh com- 
plaints being preferred against him, and his patron 
having ceased to be Governor of the province, by this 
time I trust he has been replaced by a better man. 

I write at a distance from journals and papers, but 
this terrible experience has left too deep a mark on 
my mind to be readily effaced ; my remembrance of 
each circumstance is fresh and vivid. The grave lies 
a few yards out of the track leading from the shore 
at Asouan to the famous granite quarries ; and should 
this account meet the eyes of any of your readers on 
the Nile, it will add a new interest to the associations 
brought up to the mind by the sight of the crowded 
array of tombs, and some friendly hand may be inter- 
posed to preserve from desecration or decay this me- 
morial of one of no common promise, and who has 



PASSING THE CATARACT. 



291 



left friends in all who have had the opportunity of 
knowing his worth. At the time of his death he was 
twenty-seven years of age. 

The view before passing the great cataract is very 
wild and desolate. The roaring of so many rapids, 
the low islands of reddish granite, the terrible wilderness 
which has covered the hills beyond, are very impress- 
ive, a few sunt trees and palms scarcely affording 
any relief to the appalling desolateness of the scene. 

We landed and climbed to a height on the rocks 
which commanded the cataract. A very thick rope 
and two small ones were fastened to the bows of the 
boat, and above a hundred men were employed to 
drag it. There were nearly as many spectators, 
chiefly consisting of boys ?> with shells, coins, arms, 
and young crocodiles for sale. The clamour was 
terrible, but when the time came for action there was 
silence. A man with a ragged flag gave the signal, 
and a long pull and a strong pull, in less than half an 
hour, carried us through, thanks to a strong wind, 
which had been useful all the day. 

Philse, and its beautiful temples, soon came in 
sight, surrounded with picturesque rocks ; but our 
enjoyment of the view was almost destroyed by the 
awful clamour of the Nubians, quarrelling for their 
share of the spoil, and begging for additional back- 
sheesh. It was a perfect pandemonium ; and we were 

u 2 



292 



UNFORTUNATE PASSAGE. 



delighted to land them all at their village, and escape 
to the island of Philse. 

If travellers will only be firm, and refuse to leave 
Asouan unless the wind is strong and favourable, 
they need not have any greater difficulty in passing 
the cataract than I have described ; and as there is 
no danger, either ascending or descending, nobody 
ever thinks of taking any precautions for themselves 
or luggage ; but the last time I passed the cataract I 
had to endure, for five days, a worse pandemonium 
than I have described. 

An English gentleman had made a considerable 
wager with another that he would arrive first at the 
second cataract, and, as he came to Asouan after me, 
he could not, according to the law of the cataract, 
pass over before me. Anxious to win his wager, 
without saying a word to me, by bribes, and threats 
that he would return to Cairo, he induced the reis to 
take us across without a wind. I had no suspicion 
that the reis was not using his own discretion, and 
acting as was usual, or I should have readily waved 
my right of precedence. He had friends in another 
boat, and it was a picturesque sight to see three gay 
dahabeeahs amongst the rocks at once ; but, as the 
number of men was greatly increased, the noise was 
atrocious, and a repetition of it for five days together 
upset my nerves, and I was very ill for a week after- 
wards at Philse. This misfortune proved, however, 



THE ISLAND OF PII1LAE. 



293 



one fact, that the cataract can be passed without the 
slightest wind. 

We moored in a quiet spot at Philge, well called 
the beautiful, a little to the south of the Roman ruins 
of an ancient gateway, enjoying the exquisite views 
of the wavy granite hills on our left, with villages 
and groves of palm-trees below them ; and on our 
right a bank planted with these beautiful trees, partly 
screening the remains of the ancient piers, the propyla 
of the great temple of Isis, and the picturesque hypas- 
thral temple, with its elegant columns. These two 
latter buildings are the most interesting of the ruins 
of Philse. The other fragments of temples are merely 
deserving attention for their inscriptions ; but as all 
the ruins, with but one exception, are of Ptolemaic 
or Roman epochs, the architecture does not possess 
the elegant simplicity of the Pharaonic age, nor do 
the sculptures and the hieroglyphics present the same 
beautiful execution. No one, however, can see these 
temples without the greatest admiration, and no ruins 
in the valley of the Nile can boast of such accessories 
— rocks, wood, and water — to enhance their effect. 
The Barabras, to protect a few yards of cultivated 
land, have made the old and shortest path to the 
great propyla, passing a little to the north of the 
hypgethral court, scarcely accessible. 

The best path leads to the Roman gateway, which, 
though smaller, is, in its architecture, not unlike 



294 



SPLENDID VIEW. 



that of Drusus in Rome. The arches at the side en- 
trances remain — the centre one has fallen. 

A few minutes' walk over vast mounds of brick 
ruins leads to the back of the principal temple. 
These brick ruins are, probably, all Christian, and 
amongst them are the remains of a portion of the 
apse of a church built of the stones of an ancient 
temple, many having sculptures on them. 

All the back part of the great temple is covered 
with sculpture representing Augustus making offer- 
ings to the divinities, chiefly to Isis, but frequently 
to Horus and Osiris, attended by Isis. The view 
from this part of the temple is very lovely ; the 
river from there having the appearance of two small 
lakes surrounded with wild, dark, barren granite rocks, 
with graceful palms in the foreground, and in the 
distance a low line of hills, covered with yellow sand, 
forming a singularly striking contrast of colour. Con- 
tinuing our circuit of the temple, we observed the 
king sacrificing a group of prisoners to Isis. 

Few views in the world can rival the one from this, 
the west side of the great temple. There may be 
finer granite rocks in other lands, but where will you 
find them equally bold and picturesque in their form? 
Ehomboiclal masses piled one upon another, some of 
them looking as if they only wanted a wind strong 
enough to hurl them into the river, combined with 
palm and acacia trees ; the narrow river, winding 



SMALL TEMPLE OF ATHOR. 



295 



beautifully round the rocky islands, and the distant 
range of hills covered with yellow sand, the margin of 
that desert of thousands of miles in extent, of which 
we know so little. To the right are three picturesque 
columnar rocks covered with tablets of hieroglyphics ; 
and to the left the island of Biggeh,with its quay, verdant 
banks, groups of palms, and remains of a temple in the 
village. The foreground to this unequalled view con- 
sists of masses of ruins, columns with elegant Ptole- 
maic capitals, and beautiful palms. 

Kesisting the temptation to pass through the door 
which leads into the great temple, and passing the 
side of a small peripteral temple, the exterior of which 
is decorated with elegant columns, and the remains of 
a building decorated with sculpture, supposed to refer 
to the inundation of the Nile, we very soon came to 
the front of the grand propyla. The architectural 
view from there is very striking. The corridor on the 
west side formed of columns, thirty of which are still 
standing, extends to the extremity of the island. 
The last few decorated with the head of Athor, and 
bearing the name of Pharaoh Nectanebo, the only 
king of the thirtieth dynasty, formed a small temple 
dedicated to that divinity. 

Opposite to this little temple was a similar one, 
the foundations of which are still standing. There are 
only sixteen columns remaining, and many unfinished, 
on the east side of this grand approach to the prin- 



296 



IRREGULARITY OF THE ARCHITECTURE. 



cipal temple ; but there are traces of buildings and 
temples which no doubt formerly intersected the 
eastern corridor, At the southern end there has evi- 
dently been a considerable temple, of which two large 
walls remain, covered with Koman sculptures. At 
the southern extremity of the court were two small 
obelisks — one is in England, the other is still standing. 

The view beyond them of the river winding between 
verdant banks, and hills beyond the rocks to the 
right, very bold in their form, is exceedingly beautiful. 
The most characteristic feature of the temples of Philas, 
and which certainly detracts greatly from their effect, 
is their excessive and unusual irregularity, jumbled 
together as if these architectural treasures had been 
scattered from a bag without any symmetry, and 
almost without any relation to each other. The front 
of the east corridor is in a line with the doorway of 
the great propyla. Even after passing the great pro- 
pyla the irregularity of the first court must strike 
every one, injuring as it does the effect of the beau- 
tiful architecture and the rich sculpture. 

The grand court formed by the corridors, I have 
described, leads irregularly, as I have stated, to 
the great propyla, which are richly decorated 
with sculpture representing Ptolemy Euergetes 
making offerings to Isis, Horus, and Osiris, and a 
group of the king sacrificing prisoners. The sculp- 
ture is in very deep intaglio, and, from its colossal size, 



SMALL TEMPLE OF ISIS. 



21)7 



is very imposing, and distinctly seen from the river. 
The pylon leads into an area formed on the right by 
a corridor of ten columns with elegant capitals, and 
on the left by a beautiful little temple, the west side 
of which I described before. The east side of it 
towards the court is decorated with seven columns, 
partly enclosed with screens ; and the little portico is 
adorned with two columns, all having elegant capitals, 
with the head of Isis above them. 

On the left of the western small doorway of the 
great propyla, fronting and leading to this little 
temple of Isis, is a line of representations of the 
goddess Athor, with tambourines in their hands, ap- 
proaching the king, and below six figures of the Spirits, 
three with jackals' heads, and three with hawks'. The 
sculpture inside this little temple is very interesting. 

At the end of the last of the three rooms of which 
it consists, is sculptured a hawk, emblematical of 
Horus ; and his birth is represented beneath by Isis 
sitting on her heels, with the infant god on her knees. 
Aniun lla presides over the nativity, and Thoth is an 
important divinity in this little temple. Long inscrip- 
tions of hieroglyphics record the adoration of the dif- 
ferent divinities to Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, 
and Ptolemy Physcon is seen worshipping Pthah and 
other gods. 

Every part of the first area is enriched with sculp- 
ture and hieroglyphic inscriptions. On the screens 



298 



THE BEAUTIFUL PORTICO. 



of the little temple of Isis, fronting this court, Hor- 
Hat and Horus are represented pouring emblems of 
life and purity over the king; and beneath a figure 
of Ptolemy is a large tablet of hieroglyphics con- 
taining the name of Euergetes II. on the natural 
granite rock on which one of the next propyla is built. 
These propyla lead to the most beautiful Ptolemaic 
portico on the Nile. (See frontispiece.) The colouring 
on the roof, capitals, and sculpture, though not so fresh 
as I recollect it nearly thirty years ago, is still most 
interesting. On the roof are winged Eileithyias, and 
white stars on a blue ground. 

The border of hieroglyphics, and especially the 
sacred boats of the Sun, oyer the side avenues, and 
the subjects relating to the mysteries of the dead, 
under the architraves, are very curious. The perfect 
preservation of the roof shows us admirably how the 
portico was left uncovered to half its length, but 
there are holes in the cornice to which, no doubt, 
coverings were attached when required. The greens 
and blues on the various-shaped capitals convey an 
idea of coolness which is very refreshing in this hot 
climate. This portico leads to three other rooms, 
with spacious doorways, gradually diminishing in size; 
and there are also side rooms. 

It is requisite to have a candle to see the sculpture 
of the sanctuary. A portion has been washed, re- 
presenting Isis nursing Horus, though rather a big 



MYSTERIOUS SCULPTURE. 



299 



child, being nearly the size of a man. It is to be 
regretted that more of the sculpture has not been 
cleaned, but the king may be distinguished making 
offerings to Pthah, Thoth, Tafne, and Kneph. The 
sculpture of this fine temple is not merely injured by 
dirt, but the figures, within reach of the destroyers, 
are picked and defaced to an extent that detracts 
greatly from the beauty of the temple. 

Out of the corridor, next to the portico, is a flight of 
stairs which leads to the roof, where there is a small room 
containing mysterious sculpture relating to the death 
and funeral rites of Osiris. "By him who sleeps in Phi- 
lae," was the oath of the old Egyptians. There are repre- 
sentations or symbols of most of the gods and goddesses 
worshipped in Egypt in the time of the Romans, when 
these sculptures were executed, especially of those 
connected with the mysteries of Amenti. Nephthys 
weeping at the head, and Isis at the feet of the body 
of Osiris, form the most remarkable group. 

When on the roof, the panoramic view from there, 
especially from the great propyla, should be seen. 
There are various names on this great temple, but 
the finest parts of it were built by the Ptolemies, and 
the Caesars completed and made additions to it. A 
gateway, richly ornamented with sculpture repre- 
senting the king making offerings to Osiris, Isis, and 
Horus, still retaining its colour, led from the grand 
propyla to the hypaethral building; and on the east, also, 



300 



THE HYP^THRAL COURT. 



of the great temple is a small but rather elegant 
portico of a temple of Athor, decorated with two Pto- 
lemaic columns. The interior and most of the ex- 
terior of this portico is covered with sculpture, and it 
led through other rooms to the terrace on the river. 

The beautiful effect of the unusually lofty columns of 
the hypsethral building, with the cloudless and deep 
blue sky of Nubia, will make the artist regret that so 
many of the porticoes and halls of Egypt are covered 
with roofs which, however richly sculptured, do not 
possess the brilliant colouring which formerly made 
them so attractive. This court, with its terrace 
before it, from its fine situation above the river, 
and its unusual height, is most imposing at a 
distance ; as indeed are all the temples, and 
also the walls surrounding the island, of which 
considerable remains exist. There are only 
two tablets of sculptures in the hypaethral court ; one 
represents Trajan making offerings to Isis and Thoth, 
and the other libations to Osiris and Isis. 

In the island of Biggeh, west of Philse, is a 
small unimportant temple of Euergetes L, but it is 
seen sufficiently well from Philse. The arch, which is 
so conspicuous in the distance, is of the time of the 
Christians. 

It is impossible to conclude a description of Philse, 
the beautiful, without expressing a hope that a mil- 
lionaire will, some day, obtain an order from the 



VIEWS OF THE ISLAND. 



801 



Pasha to clear away all the brick ruins, now so diffi- 
cult to scramble over, and make the whole island, 
uninhabited and almost uncultivated as it is, into a 
garden. When his finances are improved, perhaps, 
Ismail Pasha himself will undertake this great work. 
Phil«3, with its one hundred and twenty-two columns 
still standing, would then be a perfect paradise ; 
for, even now, there is no place in the valley of the 
Nile more enjoyable. It is delightful sailing, in the 
sunset, among the rocky islands ; and the views of 
the island, in the distance, are most beautiful, 



302 



CHAPTEE XIV. 

The Temple of Dabod — Picturesque Ruins of an Arab Castle — The 
Island of Morgose — Hypaethral Court of the Temple of Gertassee 
— Island of Bab-el-Kalabshee — The Temple of Kalabshee — 
The Pylon of Dakkeh— Little Temple of Bayt el Wellee, the 
House of the Saint — The Temple of Dendoor — Gerf Hossayn 
— The Temple of Dakkeh — Ruins of El Madeah — Nubian 
Method of crossing Rivers — The Temple of Sabooa — Tillage 
of Karango — Korosko — The Starting Place for Caravans cross- 
ing the Great Nubian Desert — Contrary Wind — A Disagreeable 
Path for our Men. 

With a fresh breeze we left Philae, and arrived at the 
temple of Dabod, wildly situated beneath a line of 
sand-covered hills, with the narrowest possible slip of 
cultivated land on the bank, sprinkled with a few 
palms ; and on the opposite side is a dark chain of 
rocks. There are the remains of a pier on the river, 
and seven minutes' walk from there brought us to 
the first of the three little pylons which lead to this 
temple. They are all three without sculpture, and 
unfinished, only the second being decorated with the 
usual winged globe. So many pylons to such an un- 



TEMPLE OF DABOD. 



303 



important temple is merely an affected imitation of 
the great temples of Thebes. Two of the columns 
which, with screens, formed the front of the portico, 
are standing, one with a Ptolemaic capital, and the 
other unfinished. The sculpture is in bad style. 
This portico leads to three rooms. The first only 
containing sculpture, representing an Ethiopian king, 
Ashar Amun, making offerings to Osiris, Isis, Horus, 
and Kneph. The only tablet of the least interest is 
on the eastern wall, representing Horus and Thoth 
pouring emblems of life and purity over Tiberius. 
The wall which enclosed this temple is most rudely « 
constructed. The view from the ruins towards the 
south, of the palm groves, the river, the verdant 
eastern bank, and distant hills, is pretty. 

In an hour afterwards we passed the picturesque 
brick ruins of an Arab castle, among which I ob- 
served a circular arch. Our Nubian pilot had no 
other name for it but Coffra, which means ancient. 
In half an hour afterwards we passed a wall project- 
ing into the river. 

The granite hills and rocks have below them pic- 
turesque acacias, and some fine dom trees, mingled 
with palms. Shortly afterwards we passed the rocky 
island of Morgose, on which were crude brick Arab 
ruins, containing arches. Afterwards the hills be- 
came tamer, especially on the western bank, as the 
granite range passes to sandstone. But the eastern 



804 



TEMPLE OF GERTASSEE. 



chain is more broken, and the groups of palms, and 
the slips of cultivated land, apparently not more than 
a hundred paces wide, sloping to the river, have, 
from their vivid greenness, a pleasing effect, contrasted 
with the sand-hills beyond. 

The hypasthral court of the temple of Gertassee is 
wildly and picturesquely situated on one of these hills. 
It contains no sculpture, and is seen very well from 
the river, as there are no walls or buildings round 
the ruin to destroy the effect of four columns, con- 
nected with screens, with Ptolemaic capitals, sustain- 
ing long architraves ; and two columns with Isis- 
headed capitals, with shrines over them, with the 
urseus in it. 

At the village, which is at some distance from the 
temple, is one of those large stone enclosures with a 
stone gateway, which will often be observed in Nubia ; 
perhaps they were for the troops, or perhaps for cattle, 
as Mohammed Ali made, them in similar form for the 
droves he received from Ethiopia. 

North of this ruin is a solitary column, the only 
remains of another temple. 

Approaching Tafa, the sandstone hills on both 
sides of the Nile become picturesque, being generally 
perpendicular and boldly broken, and the palms and 
acacias beneath them, and the green slip of culti- 
vated land, might well induce the Romans to select 
it as a residence. 



TEMPLES OF TAFA. 



305 



The south temple consists of a very small room 
ornamented with two columns, with pretty Ptolemaic 
capitals, and no sculpture ; but the front part being 
destroyed, the ruin is picturesque, combined with a 
couple of palms, and bold rocks on both sides of the 
river, and no Arab huts to spoil its effect. This 
portico leads into a small unfinished sanctuary. The 
other little temple is, unfortunately, situated in the 
village, and occupied by a Nubian family. It is very 
perfect, and without sculpture, and never consisted of 
more than one room, in which are four columns, with 
Ptolemaic capitals, besides the two which decorate the 
front. The temple being so little injured, it is neces- 
sary to enter it to see the columns inside, and great 
was the clamour for backsheesh for this infringement 
of their privity. There are a great number of the 
stone enclosures at Tafa, but generally of a small 
size. 

Soon after we came to granite rocks on both sides 
of the river, as picturesque as at Philse, for the short 
time they last. Some of them rise even more boldly 
from the river than at the first cataract. On one of 
the rocks are the crude brick remains of an ancient 
town and castle, commanding the entrance of the 
granite gorge. In a few minutes afterwards we came 
in sight of an island called Bab-el-Kalabshee, covered 
with very extensive crude brick ruins, containing 
towers of considerable strength ; and immediately 

x 



306 LONELINESS OF THE SCENERY. 

afterwards we passed another island, with similar 
remains, and many small islands threatening to 
impede our course and creating rapids. 

The hills now became tamer, but the scenery is 
very beautiful, enhanced by the winding of the river, 
forming a succession and variety of views. There 
are, indeed, few sails more beautiful on any river than 
the short one between Tafa and Kalabshee. The 
black basalt islands glittering in the sun, and, when 
the granite rocks are succeeded by sand or gritstone, 
the latter here even surpass the former in the height 
of the hills, and in their bold perpendicular picturesque 
forms. The bases of some of the islands were of 
granite, with sandstone in the centre, and on the 
summit. This variety of colour— the almost black 
granite and yellow sandstone rocks, mingled with a 
little green of palms and acacias, and a few culti- 
vated patches — enhances greatly the scenery of the 
Bab-el-Kalabshee. Near Kalabshee the hills are 
tamer, but the recollection of such a first day's 
experience of the Nile in Nubia, must be to all most 
delightful. 

The deep loneliness of the river, and also of its banks, 
is most remarkable. Not a boat have we seen this day, 
norpeasants, nor cattle on the shore, except occasionally 
an Arab traveller, with his well-laden donkey. We 
saw near the palm-trees crude brick villages, scarcely 
distinguishable from their similarity of colour from 



THE GREAT TEMPLE OF KALABSHEE. 307 

the hills behind them ; but they appeared as deserted 
as the more ancient ruined towns I have mentioned — 
so different from the scenery in Lower Egypt, where 
the Nile is animated by all kinds of boats, and the 
villages swarming with a redundant population. 
There is something, also, in the air of Nubia in the 
winter season, which is very delightful, mild, and 
bracing, at all times perfectly dry, and, though warm, 
there is an elasticity in it which, joined to the ex- 
citement of mastering, with a fresh breeze, the strong 
current, is most enjoyable. 

The temple of Kalabshee, founded by Augustus, 
and completed by his successors, is one of those great 
edifices which the Romans constructed in deference to 
the religion of the people under their subjection, of a 
size and splendour rivalling almost in its architectural 
pretensions the temples of the ancient Pharaohs, 
which, however, they never equalled in the elegance 
of style, or in the beauty of the decorations and 
sculpture. 

A fine terrace on the river, and protected from it 
by a wall, is still well preserved ; and also a broad 
stone causeway, and a flight of steps leading to the great 
propyla, now diminished in height into a little above 
the entrance of the first court, which had a corridor 
on each side, ornamented with columns, of which 
only one remains. The view on entering this court 
is very striking, of the extraordinary accumulation 

x 2 



308 



COURTS AND SCULPTURE. 



of immense masses of stone and beautiful capitals, 
which actually fill every part of it, and are difficult to 
climb over ; while opposite to you is the imposing 
facade of what must have been a beautiful portico. 
The front is ornamented with four columns, nearly 
concealed to half their height by elegant screens, de- 
corated with the winged globe, and above the cor- 
nices the urseus ornament. 

The capitals of the columns, now much injured, are 
Ptolemaic, and very beautiful. The cornice of the 
facade is perfect, and ornamented with the winged 
globe and serpents. There is no sculpture uninjured 
in the first court, and on the front of the portico, ex- 
cept on the door leading into the interior, and on one 
of the screens, where Hor-Hat and Thoth are repre- 
sented pouring libations over a Csesar before Horus. 
The interior of the portico was ornamented with eight 
other columns, of which only two are now standing. 
The portico leads into a room equally encumbered 
with vast masses ; but which was decorated with 
eight columns, of which two remain. 

There is no sculpture except some very bad in 
style, on the front of what may have been the ori- 
ginal little temple where a Csesar is represented 
making offerings to different divinities, especially to 
Malouli, a son of Isis, the principal god of the temple. 
There are three rooms beyond, all covered with sculp- 
ture, besides several small lateral chambers. One of 



SMALL TEMPLE OF KALABSIIEE. 



903 



these rooms is well worth observing, for the singular 
preservation of the coloured sculpture, representing 
Caesar making offerings to the divinities. The colour- 
ing of the head-dresses, chairs, ornaments, offerings, and 
hieroglyphics, and especially the dresses of the different 
divinities, may be studied with advantage, and show us 
what a halo colour gives to very indifferent drawing, 
and how magnificent Egyptian temples must have been 
when they combined such gorgeous and yet such well- 
harmonized colouring, and more graceful forms. 

The exterior of this great temple has never been 
finished, and is not ornamented with sculpture. 
There are considerable remains of the double walls 
which enclosed the temple, and of other rooms, one 
in the rock of little importance, but it is worth the 
trouble to scramble round the walls to see the vast 
masses of stone lying about. 

The little temple of Kalabshee, or Bayt el Wellee, 
the house of the saint, as it is called, is excavated in 
the rock, about half an hour's walk to the north. 
The architecture of this little temple is very simple ; 
its merit consisting in the extreme elegance of the 
sculpture, being executed in the reign of Eameses II., 
and a fine specimen of that, the best period of Egyp- 
tian art. 

The sculpture of the first court cut into the rock is 
historical and most interesting, representing that 
king's victories over Africans and Asiatics, over the 



310 



BATTLE SCENES. 



Cush, or Ethiopians, and the Shori, an Eastern 
people. In the first compartment, on the right on 
entering, is a very graceful figure of the king, with his 
battle-axe in his right hand, and in his left his bow 
and a string of prisoners, the Shori on their knees, 
while other prisoners with their arms bound are led 
before him. In the second, the colossal king is taking 
a fort fortified with two rows of battlements. In the 
third, the king is in his chariot, overthrowing a nume- 
rous host. In the fourth, he is slaying one of the 
enemy in single combat ; and in the last, wearing the 
head-dress of Amun, of two feathers, he is seated on 
his throne, receiving a deputation of males and females 
interceding for mercy. 

In the first two tablets of the left side, the king 
in his chariot, accompanied by his two sons in theirs, 
is attacking his enemies, the Cush — the horses very 
spiritedly drawn. In the next long tablet the king is 
represented on his throne ; a prince of Cush and pri- 
soners are before him, and splendid offerings are 
brought to him as tribute ; gold and silver in rings and 
bags, furniture, skins of wild animals, men with negro 
features leading lions antelopes, cattle, giraffes, 
monkeys, &c, and bearing on their shoulders ebony 
and ivory. 

The tablets of hieroglyphics are beautifully exe- 
cuted ; and when not injured, they appear (after 
visiting the Roman temples) the finest engravings. 



ROUGH SET OF PEASANTS. 



311 



The king is called in them fi conqueror of the nine 
bows " (the Libyans), and the perverse race of the 
Cush, and said to have tamed the Tahennu, and "put 
under the soles of his feet the Shori " (both these 
people subdued before by Sethi I.) 

Three doors lead from this once beautiful area into 
a room excavated in the rock, in which are two short 
columns, with circular bases and square slabs for 
capitals, and fluted, except four rows, which are 
left flat for the admirably executed hieroglyphics. 
On the left side Barneses II. is represented sacrificing 
prisoners, and on each side the door leading into the 
sanctuary there are beautiful tablets, retaining much 
colour, representing the king making offerings of 
ointment, and an image of truth, to Amun Ra, who, 
with Kneph and Anouke, were the divinities of the 
temple. On each side are niches containing three 
deities, much defaced. 

In the little sanctuary there is a similar niche, but 
the deities appear to have been taken away. The 
king in the sanctuary is represented making offerings 
to Amun Ra, Kneph, and Anouke. 

Kalabshee, with its temples, quarries, and groves 
of palms, doms, and sycamore trees, offers many 
inducements to the traveller to linger, but the inha- 
bitants are a sad rough set. They besieged my boat, 
and endeavoured by force to compel my dragoman to 
give extortionate prices for their sheep and eggs. 



312 



TEMPLE OF DENDOOR. 



We had a breeze in the night, which brought us 
within the tropic to the temple of Dendoor. 

The terrace on the river before these remains is in 
good preservation. The temple built by Augustus 
exhibits some taste in the architecture, but the sculp- 
ture is very bad. The proportions of the small pylon 
which leads to it are good. The sculpture represents 
the Emperor making offerings to Osiris, Isis, and 
other gods. The very small portico is decorated 
with two columns, with Ptolemaic capitals, and leads 
to two small unfinished rooms. The sculpture of the 
interior of the portico represents the emperor making 
offerings to Osiris, Isis, Harpocrates, Horus, and 
Tafne, and below are divinities of the Nile carrying 
geese and water-plants. The exterior of the temple 
is also decorated with sculpture. The view from this 
ruin is very Nubian ; barren sand-hills, villages, un- 
shaded by trees, of the same colour as the rocks, and 
scarcely distinguishable, and the narrow river, with a 
few palms on its verdant banks. 

With a fresh breeze we soon arrived at Gerf 
Hossayn, the ancient Tutzis. The area of this 
temple, the only part that is not excavated in the 
rock, is picturesque. Two columns, one with the 
bud-shaped and the other the papyrus-shaped 
capital, are all that remain of the four that decorated 
the entrance ; and of the Osiride, colossal figures 
which adorned the eight square pillars, only two re- 



TEMPLE OF GERF HOSSAYN. 



313 



tain their heads. On each side of this court are 
fragments of three statues, cut in alto-relievo in the 
rock. 

Four masses of architraves, bearing the names and 
titles of Eameses II., are still supported by the 
pillars, and form a picturesque foreground to the 
Arab village, with its palms and monotonous hills, 
and the old town of Mereeh, or Sabagoora, with its 
thick enclosing walls running up apparently to a 
fort, and the river fringed on the other side with a 
brilliantly verdant bank. 

The interior of this excavation, measuring one 
hundred and thirty feet, is interesting more for its 
appearance of great antiquity than for the merit of 
the sculpture, which is very bad for the age of 
Eameses II. The colouring has all decayed, and the 
interior of the temple has regained the natural white 
appearance of the rock, with here and there the crust 
of age and dirt, a few inches of brilliant blues and 
reds occasionally giving us faint indications of its 
former brilliancy. 

The first hall is lofty, and contains six massive 
pillars, decorated towards the avenues with Osiride 
figures, or colossal statues of Eameses II., on 
pedestals, which are too high, so that the statues 
have not their usual proportions, and have a stunted 
appearance. The black crust of time has accumu- 
lated so over the faces that they are scarcely dis- 



314 KEENNESS OF THE NUBIANS FOR MONEY. 

tinguishable, and will claim little admiration, more 
especially if seen after Aboo-Simbel. On each side of 
this hall are four niches containing statues of the king 
and queen and divinities, also badly executed. 

The sculpture on the walls representing the king 
making offerings to the divinities, chiefly Pthah and 
Re, is in better style. This hall leads through a 
room, with four square pillars, to a sanctuary where 
there are three divinities, Pthah Sokaris, Pthah and 
Athor, with the king seated behind an altar, and on 
the walls of the sanctuary are sacred arks. 

The keenness of the Nubians for money is a posi- 
tive nuisance. When they found me out at the 
temple, my enjoyment of it was quite destroyed. 
Above thirty men and naked boys followed me to my 
boat, screaming and begging for backsheesh, some 
few offering spears and shields for sale. 

Leaving these ruins, the views are uninteresting — 
low hills on both sides of the river, those on the 
west side being chiefly covered with sand. The strip 
of cultivated land on the bank is very narrow, and the 
villages, with their groves of palms, are more rare. 
The propyla of Dakkeh look imposing from the river. 
Opposite are the crude brick remains of a strong 
castle, with immensely thick walls and towers, worth 
visiting by those who care for fortifications. 

The architecture of the little temple of Dakkeh, 
the ancient Pselcis, is interesting. The propyla are 



TEMPLE OF DAKKEII. 



315 



unusually perfect, and the flatness of the surrounding 
country adds to their effect. They had a court before 
them, of which there are considerable traces. The pylon 
leads to a little portico, the front of which is deco- 
rated with two columns, with Ptolemaic capitals, 
partly joined with screens. This portico is covered 
with sculpture, retaining much colour, and the 
Eileithyias on the roof are more distinguishable than 
usual. 

Euergetes and Cleopatra are represented making 
offerings ; and as no Ptolemaic remains are found 
south of this place, there is every reason to suppose 
that the empire of the Ptolemies never extended 
beyond this place and Ibreem. 

The portico leads through a corridor to a sanc- 
tuary, or what was evidently the original temple, 
founded by the Ethiopian king, Ergamun, of the 
time of the Ptolemies. The sculpture, though in- 
jured, is in rather better style, and represents the 
Ethiopian king making offerings to Thoth Hermes 
Trismegistus, the chief god of the temple, Kneph, 
Osiris, Isis, &c. In the lateral chambers there is 
some curious sculpture, but the most interesting, 
from having been lately cleaned, is in the last room 
but one, which must be approached from outside, a 
stone blocking the way. It represents Ergamun 
making offerings to Isis and Harpocrates, with his 
finger to his lip. 



316 



RUINS OF OOFIDEENA. 



The cornice on both sides of this sanctuary, or 
little temple, retains traces of colour. On the back 
of the sanctuary a Csesar is offering incense to Horus, 
and addressing Isis and that god ; and over the door- 
way the spirits are worshipping the winged Hor-Hat. 

Here, again, I was beset by crowds of ragged 
Nubians, screaming for backsheesh, and offering for 
sale Eoman lamps, crocodiles, and even pebbles that 
they picked up from the ground before my face, 
believing the English will buy anything. 

The ruins of the castle I have mentioned are seen 
well from the temple, but the scenery is flat, and has 
not the usual attractions of the views in Nubia. The 
village of Dakkeh is very uninteresting; the large 
circular mud vases, almost as high as the houses, are 
the granaries of the Nubian peasants. 

A pleasant breeze kindly took us rapidly through 
a flat uninteresting country, with isolated pyramidal 
hills in the distance. Two hours afterwards we passed 
the unimportant ruins of the temple of Ooflcleena, the 
ancient Hierasycaminon, situated, as usual, on the 
desert, above the cultivated strip of land. There are 
fourteen columns, but rude and unfinished ; and there 
is a staircase leading to the top of the ruin. 

Opposite to it is a solitary hill, a fine situation for 
a castle, of which there appeared to be some remains. 
We soon passed the crude brick ruins of an an- 
cient town, and afterwards similar remains on the 



RUINS OF A CASTLE. 



317 



western bank, wildly situated on perpendicular rhom- 
boidal masses of rock, at a little distance from the 
ruins of a castle called El Madeah. As there never 
could have been much greater extent of cultivated 
land than the narrow slips now existing, between the 
hills and the river, these castles must have been 
erected as the residences of those warlike tribes who, 
in ancient times, struggled for the mastery of this 
wild district. 

Before arriving at Sabooa the sand-hills are more 
broken in their surface, and often rather picturesque. 
The western bank is very tame, and neither side can 
boast of many palms. We observed, this evening, a 
Nubian crossing the river on a log of wood, with the 
assistance of an inflated water-skin, his clothes and 
stick fastened on the top of his head. 

We arrived, in the evening, at the temple of Sa- 
booa, having sailed against the stream twenty-eight 
miles in eight hours, averaging three and a half miles 
an hour ; and in two days we had accomplished 
eighty-five miles, allowing for a slight repose at night ; 
but the impression is that we are sailing far quicker, 
the current being so very strong. 

The temple of Sabooa, or the Lions, as it is called 
from the eight androsphinxes which ornamented the 
first court, is now almost covered with sand. It is built 
like all the temples, and, I may say, modern villages, 
in Nubia, on the edge of the desert, so that not a yard 



318 



TEMPLE OF SABOOA. 



of arable land may be lost. On the pedestals of 
the sphinxes are prisoners, but none of them are 
now perfect. The heads of two sphinxes, just ap- 
pearing above the sand, have traces of their faces, 
and a third has only the ear uncovered. Behind two 
statues, much defaced, are the names and titles of 
Eameses II., who built the temple. On the badly- 
built pylon this avenue leads to, the same king 
is making offerings to Amun, and I think Re, but the 
hieroglyphics are defaced. A colossal statue lies at 
the door of the pylon, which leads into a small court 
ornamented with Osiride columns, now, like every 
part of this temple, covered with sand, but the name 
of Eameses is distinguishable in the adytum exca- 
vated in the rock, the side walls of which are orna- 
mented with the sacred arks of Amun and Re. 

The view from the temple, of the river, and the 
broken picturesque hills on the opposite side, is in- 
teresting. If some of the ruins in Nubia be consi- 
dered scarcely worth the trouble of visiting, the views 
will generally compensate the traveller. This dis- 
trict is called the Wady el Arab, as the natives 
speak Arabic, though above they speak the Nooba 
language, and below, the Kensee, which is again 
spoken by the Kenoos, above the second cataract. 

We passed Malkeh with the slightest breeze. 
The views were tame and uninteresting; the low 
sand-hills on our left, blackened by a tropical sun, 



DESOLATE SCENERY. 



319 



those at the west side covered with deep-yellow sand, 
which drifts over them with the prevailing westerly 
winds from the desert they screen. In some places 
there is no cultivated land, and never more than a 
very narrow strip — scarcely a village to be seen — the 
pale olive-coloured thorny sehal lining the banks, in- 
stead of the graceful palms. The bleakest sierras of 
Spain seldom present such a picture of solitude as 
this wild district, with a glorious river — in Egypt so 
fructifying — rolling through its desolate wastes. 

Soon after leaving Malkeh the eastern hills become 
more picturesque, rising perpendicularly from the 
river, with, generally, a few sehals at their base, and 
occasionally small patches of land cultivated by the 
industrious Nubians. 

On the western bank the village of Karango, with 
its grove of palms, appeared like an oasis amidst this 
desert scenery. At noon we passed Korosko, where, 
for the first time in Nubia, we observed boats moored 
at the bank of the river, being the starting place for 
the caravans which cross the Great Nubian Desert 
for the south ; and here, I recollect, nearly thirty 
years ago, we filled our water-skins for our eight 
days' march across the wilderness to Aboo Hammed.* 

The river here winds nearly N.N.W., and the 
breeze which had hitherto been so favourable was now 
contrary to us. Our *men dragged us along the left 

* See my " Travels in Ethiopia." 



320 



ARAB BARGAINING. 



bank, which is planted with acacias, and above them 
a continuous grove of palm-trees. The right side ap- 
peared more desolate, but the rocks in the river soon 
stopped us for the night. In the morning we fortu- 
nately had a little wind, which enabled us to cross to 
the right side, and we tracked along a thorny bank, 
a disagreeable path for our poor men with their naked 
feet. Here and there, there were a few yards of cul- 
tivated land, but generally a fringe of acacias sepa- 
rated the Nile from the barren desert. On our left 
there was more cultivation, and an unbroken line of 
palms and acacias. 

We bought a small sheep for seven shillings and 
sixpence, which is dear compared with Egypt, but I 
would almost have preferred paying double the sum, 
to have avoided the screaming incidental to the bar- 
gain. Another Arab wanted a guinea for a sheep the 
same size, and would not take less ; formerly I used 
to buy them in Nubia for * eighteen pence and two 
shillings each. 



321 



CHAPTER XV. 

The Temple of Amada — Derr, the Capital of Nubia — The Temple of 
Derr — Scenes on the Banks of the River — Wedding Gaieties in 
Nubia — Fortress of Ibreem — Great Temple of Aboo-Simbel — 
Various Sculptures — Battle- Scenes — The Portico — The Sanc- 
tuary — The small Temple of Aboo-Simbel — Statues of Rameses 
II. — Small Temple used as a Fortress — Various Sculptures 
representing Rameses II. and his Queen — Temple at Ferayg 
— Deboreh — Careful Cultivation on the Bank of the River 
— A Resource of the Poor Nubians — Brick Enclosures for Cattle 
in the Nubian Desert — Ruins of a Temple and Ancient Cha- 
pels — View of the Second Cataract — Magical Effect — Wadee 
Halfeh — Condition of the Peasantry — Morning and Evening 
Temperature in Nubia — Violent Gales of Wind — Advice to In- 
valids — Voyage from Wadee Halfeh to Cairo — Visit to a Cara- 
van with Prisoners — Black Regiments in the Egyptian Service 
— Slave Traffic — Discovery of the Source of the Nile. 

With a slight favourable breeze, we came to Hassaia, 
and the little temple of Amada, situated on the yellow 
desert, about one hundred and sixty paces from the 
river, and almost buried in the sand, with a bank of 
acacias, but no cultivated land below it, and a line of 
wavy, broken, barren hills behind. The little temple 

Y 



322 



TEMPLE OF AMADA. 



of Amada would not, perhaps, by some travellers be 
considered worth visiting for its architecture ; but it 
certainly is for the remains of colour on the sculpture, 
which is of the best period and style of Egyptian art. 
The ruin consists of a portico supported by twelve 
square and four polygonal columns, with plain slabs 
for capitals, the type of the Doric column. Part of 
the roof is remaining. This portico leads into a cor- 
ridor, from which three doors lead into the sanctuary, 
and four lateral chambers, uninjured, but unfortu- 
nately encumbered with sand. 

The coloured sculpture, thanks to the Christians 
who had covered it with plaster, is admirably pre- 
served. On the left side, on entering the sanctuary, 
is E-e with a vase, containing the emblems of life, 
stability, and purity, leading King Amunoph II. to 
the god Amun Ra ; and on the opposite side the sub- 
ject is nearly the same, but the divinities have changed 
places, and the king is Thothmes III. At the end is 
a sacred ark, and Thothmes making offerings to the 
same divinities seated in it; and there is a long tablet 
of hieroglyphics below. Faded as these figures are 
now from what I recollect them, they still give an ex- 
cellent idea of the effect of Egyptian sculpture when 
coloured. 

The view is interesting of the temple, surrounded 
with the yellow desert, bounded by the horizon, and 
the river fringed with fine mimosas, now loaded with 



DERR THE CAPITAL OF NUBIA. 



323 



their sweet-scented yellow flowers ; and on its verdant 
bank on the other side, a narrow forest of palms, 
extending as far as the eye can see, and beyond them 
the wilderness bounded by a picturesquely broken 
ridge of sand-hills. Leaving Amada, the groves of 
palms and acacias diminish in number towards the ex- 
tremity of the low line of hills, which reach to the 
river, south of Derr. 

Derr, the capital of Nubia, with its large government 
house, appears quite a metropolis compared with the 
small Nubian villages. It is of great extent, as the 
houses are often detached, and larger than in Egypt, 
the streets wider, and the town has a very flourishing 
appearance, thanks to its immense lucrative groves of 
dates. 

The temple of Derr is partly excavated in the ridge 
of rocks behind the village, and though the work of 
Rameses II., whose temples at Thebes and Aboo- 
Simbel are the wonders of the Nile, the architecture 
and sculpture of this edifice, as of Gerf Hossayn, are 
very inferior. The area before the excavated 
chambers of the temple was decorated with twelve 
square pillars, of eight of which, portions, four 
to five feet high, hewn out of the rock, remain ; 
and the other four, on which are fragments of Osiride 
statues, still support an architrave. On both sides of 
this court are traces of battle-scenes, and the king in 
his chariot, and again offering prisoners to the god 

y 2 



324 



TEMPLE OF DERR. 



Ee, with a hawk's head. On each side of the door- 
way leading into the interior are colossal representa- 
tions of the king, accompanied by a lion, sacrificing 
prisoners to Amun Ea and Ee, and smaller figures of 
the king making offerings to Thoth and Kneph. 

The area leads into a portico excavated in the 
rock, in which are six pillars with square bases ; and 
this leads into a sanctuary where, at the end, there 
are traces of statues, and at each side of the sanc- 
tuary is a small room. The sculptures of the portico 
and sanctuary are bold and well executed. The most 
interesting subject is the king in the Persea-tree re- 
ceiving the gifts of Ee and Pasht on one side, and 
the mummy-figured god Pthah on the other. There 
is also a representation of offerings to the ark of Ee, 
with a sacred shrine, which the kings are supposed 
to have carried with them in their wars. The pro- 
portions are simple, but good, of this little temple ; 
and when perfect it could not have been the least at- 
tractive of the temples of the Nile. But now little 
remains, and the once richly-decorated roof has lost 
all its splendour. In the same rock is a small tomb 
not worth visiting, as it contains no sculpture. About 
thirty children followed me from the village to the 
temple, and my men had to use their sticks to keep 
them at a distance. 

On our right, on leaving Derr, we had still the 
desert, but the grandeur of a desert, which consists in 



WEDDING AT DERR. 



325 



its extent, is here screened by low broken hills, partly 
covered with sand, and fringed with acacias. Gebel 
Derr projects boldly into the water, and for three 
hours we coasted under the picturesquely broken 
rocks rising perpendicularly from the Nile, the mo- 
narch of the scene. 

The character of the banks now changed ; the left 
was full of acacias, but almost entirely destitute of 
cultivated land, except where the industrious Nu- 
bians had protected some patches of a few yards 
in extent. On our right were sehals and extensive 
groves of palms, broken occasionally by the desert. 
We observed numerous groups of peasants, some on 
foot, and others on donkeys, generally respectably 
dressed ; the men in long white robes and turbans, 
and the women in blue gowns, with their hair elabo- 
rately dressed in well-greased ringlets, making their 
way to a great wedding at Derr. The gaieties on 
these occasions sometimes last a fortnight — drinking 
and dancing being the chief amusements. The sun 
set gloriously in a blaze of light, above which were 
broken lines as of the brightest gilding, which after- 
wards changed into a red colour as the horizon as- 
sumed a greenish tint. 

We were becalmed at night, and in the morning 
we passed the village of Ibreem. The view was 
pleasing of groves of palm-trees, and, on both sides of 
the river, very large acacias. Soon afterwards we 



326 



THE ROCKS OF IBREEM. 



had the desert on both sides, except a few patches of 
cultivated land on the sloping banks. 

Some miles north of Ibreem, and south of an old 
castle, on the western bank, there is a remarkable 
deposit of alluvial soil, extending for a considerable 
distance, which has the appearance of a mud wall, and 
the summit of it being now on a level with the yellow 
desert and shrubs, twenty feet high, on the present 
bank of the river, it is strong evidence that the Nile 
flowed formerly much higher in this part of Nubia. 

Tracking with the least possible wind, we reached 
the range of rocks on one of which is the fortress of 
Ibreem, the supposed site of Primis Parva. 

The gritstone range is divided by rocky valleys. 
Descending the river from the south, there appear to 
be five bold headlands ; ascending from the north, only 
three appear to rise very precipitately from the river, 
but these form a very picturesque view. At the base 
of the first are the ruins of a Sheakh's tomb. On the 
second the crude brick ruins of the town, with its 
walls and forts, resting in one part on stone founda- 
tions, are very imposing, situated on a bold headland 
rising precipitately, in a triangular form, from the 
the river. The rocks appear higher from the flatness 
of the western bank, and the flat monotonous scenery 
before reaching Ibreem, especially from the south. 
Anywhere Ibreem would be thought picturesque, and 
is really entitled to be considered the Ehrenbreit stein 



CROCODILES. 



327 



of the Nubian Nile. On the southern end of the rock are 
several grottoes — four with large doorways. 

A little further south, on the same side of the river, 
there is an isolated hill, admirably situated for forti- 
fications. There appeared to be some portions of 
Eoman masonry on the south side of the hill, but the 
access to it would be difficult, if the other side is as 
steep as the one we see from the Nile. 

The four grottoes, or small temples, I have men- 
tioned, contain the names of Thothmes I. and III., 
Amunoph II., and Eameses II., and representations of 
the divinities, Ee, Sate, and Anouke. Not only the 
Egyptian Pharaohs, but the Ethiopians under Tirhaka 
and Queen Candace ; the Eomans, under Petronius, 
who waged war against the Ethiopian queen ; and 
the Turks, under Sultan Selim, appear to have 
availed themselves of these strong natural fortifica- 
tions. 

The views were afterwards very uninteresting, 
often nothing visible but the desert on both sides, 
fringed with a few low shrubs near the river. The soli- 
tude was extreme, not a man to be seen ; the croco- 
diles might well think they had the Nile to them- 
selves, and venture from their deep recesses — I 
counted four on one small island, but they vanished 
as we approached them. 

With a glorious breeze we approached, in the even- 
ing, the celebrated temples of Aboo-Simbel. That 



828 



THE TEMPLES OF ABOO-SIMBEL. 



side of the Nile is a perfect desert. The rocks the 
temples are excavated in are low, almost perpendi- 
cular, and flat on their summit, and an overwhelming 
drift of sand divides the two temples^ and is conti- 
nually blocking up and encroaching on the great one. 
It is a strange sight to see such mighty monuments on 
the margin of the wilderness. They are not only 
most imposing from their great size, but even at a 
considerable distance the grandeur and beauty of the 
faces of the great colossi are very impressive, though 
at a moderate distance their pleasing expression is 
seen better, even than when close to them. 

An inclined plain of sand, difficult to wade through, 
hides a great part of the front of the great temple of 
Aboo-Simbel ; and as the sand is constantly flowing^ 
down from the desert above, the labour of excava- 
tors is soon lost. Belzoni and Captains Irby and 
Mangles, and Mr. Beechey, were the travellers who 
first cleared out the entrance, and I had the good 
fortune to see the temple thirty years ago, soon after 
Mr. Hay had excavated two of the colossi to their 
bases, exposing interesting tablets of hieroglyphics 
and a Greek inscription recording the visit of the 
soldiers sent in pursuit of the army of two hundred 
and forty thousand men, who, according to Herodotus, 
in the time of Psammitichus, deserted from Egypt into 
Ethiopia — the king himself going no farther than 
Elephantine, where his name, as I have stated in my 



THE LARGE TEMPLE. 



329 



account of that island, is recorded in large hierogly- 
phics on one of the rocks. 

The facade of the temple is about one hundred and 
twenty-one feet wide. At the summit is a row of 
cynocephali, and from there to the base of the co- 
lossi the height is ninety feet. The four immense 
colossi of Rameses II., seated on thrones which 
ornament the front, are sixty feet high. The heads 
of two of them are almost perfect, and the face of 
another is also in excellent preservation. The legs 
of one measured, from the knee to the base, nineteen 
feet six inches, but now the sand has covered this 
statue to the calf of the leg. On the arms is an oval 
containing the name of the great Rameses, and on 
^ each side and between the legs of the colossi were 
figures eight feet high, but of these portions of 
two only are visible between the two eastern colossi. 
Over the entrance into the portico is a large figure of 
Re, with a hawk's head and disk, and Rameses II. offer- 
ing to the god little images of the god of Truth and 
Justice. The portico, excavated in the rock — fifty-seven 
feet seven inches long, and fifty-one feet eleven inches 
broad, and twenty-five feet four inches high — is orna- 
mented with eight square pillars, the sides towards 
the avenue decorated with Osiride figures, or statues 
of Rameses II., twenty-two feet four inches high. 

The view, thirty years ago, was very imposing, as 
the light was sufficient, not only to see this splendid 



330 DESTRUCTION OF THE FIGURES. 



avenue of statues, but also very distinctly through 
two other rooms, all with doors with beautiful cor- 
nices, into the sanctuary, at the end of which are 
divinities seated before an altar. You forgot you were 
in excavated rooms, the proportions of the architec- 
ture are so admirable ; but now the sand, ever flow- 
ing in at the door, partly covers the feet of the last 
colossus, and reaches the elbows of the first, so that 
there is scarcely light sufficient to distinguish the 
statues in the sanctuary. The colossi have plain 
mitres on their heads, little expression in the coun- 
tenances, but pleasing gravity, well calculated for 
monumental ornaments. 

Some of the figures are now much injured : one 
wants part of its chest, others part of the arms. The 
faces of all the eight were in excellent preservation, 
and the injuries they had then received not so mate- 
rial as to detract from their effect ; but now they are 
sadly changed — the traces of colour are more faint, 
the second colossal to the right has its aquiline, Ra- 
meses II. nose, broken, and not one of the statues on 
the left side has its nose uninjured. 

The ceiling over the grand avenue is decorated 
with a succession of representations of the goddess 
Eileithyia, or the winged vultures and feathers. The 
sculptures of the portico are extremely interesting, 
but, from the colours being faded, with eight candles 



SPIRITED BATTLE SCENES. 



331 



I could not sufficiently distinguish the incidents of the 
battles depicted. 

On the left, on entering, is a fine figure of Amun 
Ea, before whom the king, with a bow in one hand 
and a falchion in the other, is on the point of sacri- 
ficing prisoners ; then the king is represented offering 
incense to Amun Ea ; and there is an interesting 
tablet of the king in the Persea-tree before Ee and 
Thoth, with his graduated staff, Under these fine 
figures are more interesting tablets representing the 
king in his chariot, attended by three other chariots 
attacking his enemies ; the king is then represented 
killing one of his foes, and trampling on another ; 
and there is a tablet of the king in his chariot driving 
before him an admirably drawn group of negro pri- 
soners, of the same colour and features as the modern 
Shilooks, and wearing a cord and charm suspended 
from their necks, as is now their custom. The king, 
on foot, is then presenting the prisoners to Amun Ea. 
On the west side is depicted a tremendous battle, 
but, from the greater absence of colour, difficult to 
be made out. The battle was on the banks of a 
large river, which retains some colour, and is more dis- 
tinguishable. Chariots and soldiers are in rank and 
file; chariots meeting chariots, horses and men upset. 

" Horse trod by horse lay foaming on the plain, 
From the dry fields thick clouds of dust arise, 
Shade the black host and intercept the skies ; 
The brass-hoofed steeds tumultuous plunge and bound, 



332 



THE KING ATTACKING A FORT. 



And the thick thunder beats the labouring ground ; 

The horses fly, the chariot smokes along, 

Clouds from, their nostrils the fierce coursers blow."* 

The king is attacking a fort ; the architecture is 
worth observing, consisting as it were of two towers, 
one on the other, the roof of the top one projecting 
so as to form for the besieged two places of defence. 
The entrance to the tower is by a small doorway. 
The besieged have their hair bound with a yellow 
band. Many of them have their arms extended im- 
ploring mercy, but the unerring shaft from the 
bow of Kameses is destroying them. One is falling 
from the battlements, two are on their knees implor- 
ing mercy, and others are holding out flags as a sign 
of submission ; but the bow of Eameses is bent to 
destroy them. The place is called the fortress of 
Atsh, and the campaign is supposed to be against the 
Kheta, or the Hittites, the ancient inhabitants of 
Canaan. The war on the other side is clearly against 
an African people. 

This portico leads through a hall twenty-six feet 
long and thirty-eight feet wide, ornamented with four 
square pillars, and a corridor nine feet five inches 
long and thirty-eight feet broad, into a sanctuary, 
twenty -three feet seven inches long, and twelve feet 
three inches broad; at the end of which are the 
injured statues of Ee, Amun, Pthah, and the king, 
seated before an altar, and on the walls are sacred 

* The Iliad. 



THE SMALL TEMPLE OF AHOO-SIMBEL. 333 

arks, with shrines. On each side of the sanctuary 
are lateral chambers ; and there are two, forty 
and forty-nine feet broad, leading out of the grand 
portico, with benches round them, but they are only 
partly finished, the sculptures representing the king 
making offerings to the divinities, chiefly Re. 

The small temple of Aboo-Simbel would excite 
great admiration, if, moored in our boat opposite it, 
we did not compare the sculpture with the single 
colossal head there visible of the great temple ; as 
none of the six colossal statues which, in alto-relievo, 
adorn the front of this temple, at all rival the beauti- 
ful expression of the great statues of Rameses. This 
ruin is, however, very imposing, though we can 
scarcely judge of its effect when perfect, as there is 
not one of the colossi that has not its nose defaced. 
This destruction of noses at this temple and in the 
grand portico of the great temple must have been in- 
tentional. The unevenness of the gritstone rock 
above, on each side and in front of the temple, the 
long grass and a few low shrubs, increase its 
picturesque effect. 

This temple is eighty-five feet wide and thirty-five 
feet high. Six deep recesses are cut in the smooth 
rock, which on each side the colossi is left as 
buttresses, ornamented with such deep hieroglyphics 
that a sailor had no difficulty in using them as a 
ladder. Three of the statues are of Rameses II., 



334 



DEDICATED TO ATIIOR. 



with the plain mitre for head-dress, and two of his 
queen, Nofri Ari, with the head-dress of Athor, the 
globe, horns, and two feathers, and the sixth of 
Athor, to whom the queen dedicates the temple. 
Athor is called in the inscriptions the Lady of the land 
of Aboshek, the ancient name of the place. 

The colossi are standing, and had on each side 
their legs smaller statues of the royal children, of 
which only one, much defaced, and slight fragments 
of others, remain ; some of these appear to have been 
taken away. There is a line of hieroglyphics at the 
top of the temple, now much injured. The entrance 
in a buttress more than double the width of the 
other buttresses separating the statues, is very 
small, and made the excavation a strong place of 
refuge in one of those little wars formerly so 
common in this wild country. The portico, thirty- 
four feet nine inches long, and thirty-five feet nine 
inches broad, but deficient in height, and not to be 
compared to the portico of the great temple, was 
sustained by six square pillars, the sides of which, 
towards the avenue, were decorated with heads of 
Athor, with shrines on her head, in low relief. 

The portico leads through a transverse corridor to 
two unfinished lateral chambers and the sanctuary, 
at the end of which, and visible from the entrance of 
the temple, are fragments of the cow, the emblem of 
Athor. The style of the sculpture in this excavation 



SCULPTURES IN THE SMALL TEMPLE. 335 

is very good, the temperature not unpleasantly warm, 
and the light in the portico sufficient, though candles 
are required for the corridor. The figures fronting the 
light on the columns of the portico are worth observ- 
ing. On the right are seen the queen, with a sistrum, 
and the king offering incense to Kneph. On the left 
the queen, with a sistrum, and again with water- 
plants and Thoth. 

The sculpture on the walls of the portico is also 
very good. On the right, on entering, the king, 
followed by his queen, and having a bow in one 
hand and a falchion in the other, is on the point of 
sacrificing a prisoner to Ee. On the side wall the 
king is represented making offerings to Pthah, Kneph, 
Athor, and Ee, in four tablets. The sculpture on 
the left, on entering, begins with a similar sacrifice 
of a prisoner, but the god is Amun Ea. The four 
side tablets represent the king addressing Athor and 
Anubis ; Horus, with the graduated staff, blessing 
the king ; the queen making offerings to Anouke, 
and again to Amun Ea. 

On one side of the doorway leading to the sanc- 
tuary, the queen is offering water-plants to Maut, 
and on the other side to Athor. In the corridor 
Maut and Athor are represented blessing the queen, 
and over the doors of the lateral chambers of the 
sanctuary are arks, with the sacred cow, the emblems 
of Athor. In the sanctuary the king is making offer- 



336 



VILLAGE OF DEBOREH. 



ings to Amun Ra. As there are no remains of a 
city, Rosellini justly concludes that these temples 
were erected by Rameses to record the victories in 
Africa and Asia, depicted on the walls. 

At Ferayg, opposite Aboo-Simbel, there are the re- 
mains of a small excavated unimportant temple, 
which I did not visit. Travellers are fortunate if 
they have a breeze to take them from Aboo-Simbel to 
Wadee Halfeh, a distance of forty miles, as the views 
are most uninteresting ; the desert generally reaching 
the Nile on our right, and very little cultivated land 
on the east bank. Soon afterwards what cultivated 
land the country can boast of was on our right only. 

On the top of a hill near Deboreh there is an old 
castle, consisting of a large enclosure with a single 
entrance and towers. The yellow sand of the desert 
surrounds it ; a few very small patches of cultivated 
land, visible only near the river, the bank being 
generally covered with low shrubs. We observed a 
solitary traveller journeying over the desert on his 
donkey, but so far from being a relief, this little 
moving speck on its surface only made the wilder- 
ness appear more lonely. Deboreh on our left, with 
its groves, verdant bank, and higher hills in the dis- 
tance, is almost like an oasis in this desolate region. 
The palm and dom trees are splendid, and the 
acacias very large. The unusually wide bank was 
carefully cultivated, and brilliantly green with the 



WADEE HALFEII. 



337 



rising crops. It was cheerful to see the peasants busy 
at their work, and the oxen and the creaking sakeeas 
diffusing the water over the thirsty soil. 

The country was afterwards very uninteresting. 
There are a great number of isolated sandstone hills, 
particularly on the western bank, covered with very 
low shrubs, which furnish a quantity of charcoal, 
which is sent to Egypt, being one of the few re- 
sources of the poor Nubians. In various parts of 
Nubia, especially towards Wadee Halfeh, where 
villages on the west side are rare, there are often 
large detached brick enclosures, entirely surrounded 
by the desert. They were erected by Mohammed Ali 
as stations for the cattle, which were, in his reign, 
sent in great droves from Dongolah and further 
south. 

We moored at Wadee Halfeh, opposite the village, 
to avoid the noise of the water wheels, and the rats 
of about a dozen dirty-looking Arab boats; within 
ten minutes' walk of a temple, of which a number of 
fragments of columns are still standing, but no re- 
mains of capitals. The only god I could distinguish 
on the masses of stone forming the entrance had the 
hawk's head (probably Ee), and among the very few 
hieroglyphics now legible I traced the name of 
Thothmes III. A large portion of the enclosing wall 
of the temple of unbaked bricks, fronting the river, 
is a good guide to the ruin. Seventy paces to the 

z 



338 



THE SECOND CATARACT. 



north are the stone foundations of a very small 
ancient chapel, and a hundred paces further north 
are the traces of a similar chapel, both without 
columns, sculp ture, or hieroglyphics. Fragments of 
pottery are the only remains of the town which 
doubtless once existed here, and at a very early 
period, as Rosellini found among these ruins a statue 
of the time of Osirtasen L 

Donkeys or camels can be procured from Wadee 
Halfeh to visit the second cataract, a three hours' 
walk from this point ; but with the small boat this 
distance may be diminished an hour. It is better to 
ride, as the walk over loose sand, yielding to the feet, 
and with the thermomet er the first of January at eighty- 
three in the shade, is very fatiguing even for the 
strong. In an hour and a half we came to the first 
rocky islands, and in about the same time we reached 
the rock generally the Ultima Thule of Egyptian 
travellers, which commands the finest view of the 
cataract. 

The view is more singular and grand than pictur- 
esque, the river bursting through innumerable rocky 
islands — some so small they may be called only stones, 
others large rocks, and some, of considerable size, of 
rocks and sand. Five of the largest, at the northern 
extremity of the rapids, were inhabited, and are 
planted with date trees, and on some of the other 
islands there are a few sunt trees. The rocks are 



WADEE IIALFEII. 



black, and shine in the sun even more than the 
granite of the first cataract. Surrounded by oceans 
of yellow sand, the contrast of colour is very striking, 
and reminds us of the islands of black lava on the 
plains near Mounts Etna and Vesuvius, totally different 
from the country that surrounds them. 

On returning from my travels in Ethiopia, I arrived 
at this hill as the sun was setting, and the effect was 
certainly magical at that time ; the black glittering 
basalt rocks, illuminated by the rays of a tropical 
sun, contrasting vividly with the almost white rocks 
of the foreground, and the yellow tints of the desert 
and low distant hills. The river being at its lowest 
point (July), the fall and noise of the rapids 
were considerable. Those who are acquainted 
with the literature of the Nile will distinguish on 
these rocks many names familiar to them. Would that 
other travellers would be content with engraving 
their names here, and cease to deface the monuments. 

Wadee Half eh has a very pleasing rural appearance, 
consisting of a succession of hamlets of from four to 
ten houses each. They say there are nearly a thou- 
sand houses, and almost all of them under groves of 
palm-trees. They are made of mud, but are larger 
and cleaner than the huts of the Egyptian peasants ; 
and each house would be easily defended, having only 
a small doorway, and no windows, part only of the inte- 
rior being covered with a roof. The peasants here 



340 THE CLIMATE OF NUBIA. 

are well dressed, and, thanks to their groves of palms 
and commerce, evidently rich. The mistress of the 
house I entered was, as is usual in Nubia, very ugly ; 
but the double row of small platted ringlets which 
encircled her head were carefully dressed, and re- 
splendent with grease. Where the land near the 
houses is not cultivated, it is sandy, fatiguing to walk 
through ; but there are some patches beyond the palms, 
and quite in the desert, cultivated by means of 
sakeeas and wells. The Sheakh's house, on the edge 
of the cultivated land, is larger and more capable of 
defence. 

The trade carried on here with the South and North 
is considerable. Those caravans which do not like 
crossing the great Nubian desert, and travellers to 
Dongolah, Darfour, &c, hire their camels here, and, 
on their return, embark for Asouan or Cairo. 

Every invalid who has visited the Nile will allow 
that the climate of Nubia is far superior to that of 
Egypt. The thermometer is generally six to eight 
degrees higher, and there is a total absence of damp. 
The heavy dews which especially before Christmas 
wet the decks of the boats before Esneh, are, above 
that place, totally unknown. In Nubia, as in Egypt, 
there is a great difference of temperature between the 
early mornings and the extreme heat of the day, but 
as the cold in Nubia is a dry cold, it is rarely injur- 
ious. When the thermometer at Christmas at Wadee 



STORMS ON THE NILE. 



341 



Half eh was eighty to eighty-three in my cabin in an 
afternoon, and seventy-eight at night, it was often 
sixty and sixty-five in the morning. 

I have seen rain for about an hour or two at 
Thebes, and once even in Nubia ; but the thermo- 
meter does not fall so low then as when violent gales 
from the north-west prevail. These storms frequently 
occur, but seldom last above a day or two. At 
El-Kab, as we were descending the river, we had one 
in February for five days, which prevented our 
making the slightest progress. The wind was very 
cold ; the thermometer, which, for six weeks before, 
had been every day above eighty, never rose above 
sixty — some days only fifty-five ; and though at night 
we took every precaution to keep out the wind by 
covering the windows entirely with their canvas cover- 
ings, the thermometer was generally about fifty. 
There was often a great deal of sand flying about, 
but in the day-time, though the wind whistled and 
the boat rocked most disagreeably, generally the sun 
shone bright, and not a cloud was to be seen in the 
sky. My sailors and servants said they never recol- 
lected so strong a wind lasting so long. 

Many travellers have assured me that they prefer 
the climate of Nubia to Madeira, and it is certainly 
finer than Algiers, which from experience 1 can assert 
is far superior, except in the spring, to the climates 
of Home, Mentone, Nice, or the south of Spain. The 



342 



DISTANCES ON THE NILE. 



thermometer at Algiers for the first three months 
after Christmas is seldom higher than sixty-eight, 
often much lower ; it frequently rains there ; and 
I have seen the snow on the ground for two days to- 
gether. Invalids should stay at least two months in 
Nubia, and not return to Cairo before the end of 
March or beginning of April ; when the khamsin, 
the hot winds from the desert, will oblige them to 
take refuge for the remaining spring months in the 
more temperate climates of Malta, Corfu, or Italy. 

The voyage from Wadee Halfeh to Cairo is made 
easily, if necessary, in a month, visiting all the prin- 
cipal antiquities : say ten days to Asouan, two hundred 
and twenty miles ; five days to Thebes, one hundred 
and twenty -four miles ; and fifteen more to Cairo, 
four hundred and fifty-five miles.* When, as is fre- 
quently the case, in February or March, there is a 
perfect calm, or a southerly breeze, the progress, with 
ten or twelve good rowers, is very rapid. By pro- 
mising my sailors additional backsheesh, I once went 
from Sioot to Cairo, two hundred and fifty-four miles, 
in less than three days. The men never work so well 



* Cairo, 


C. 


to Benisooef, 77 miles. 


Benisooef, 


B. 


„ Minieh, 82£ „ 


Minieh, 


M. 


,, Sioot, 94£ „ 


Sioot, 


S. 


,, Girgeh, 88 „ 


Girgeh, 


G. 


,, Keneh, 64 ,, 


Keneh, 


K. 


,, Thebes, 48| ,, 






Total, 454| 



See Handbook. 



RETURNING TO CAIRO. 



343 



if they are not allowed to sing when they row ; but 
if the singing is felt to be a nuisance, it can always 
be checked, or even stopped entirely. 

Though not so delightful as sailing up the river 
with a fresh breeze, it is very agreeable gliding 
rapidly down the stream, passing the villages, groves, 
and temples, like a panorama. It is tiresome when 
the north winds are too strong to row against, and in 
a part of the river where there is little to see, as is 
frequently the case between Thebes and Cairo ; but 
the sailors, for their own pleasure, will generally 
exert themselves to reach a large town, which will 
afford some amusement. Every journey or voyage 
has its drawbacks, but if proper precautions are taken 
at the outset to make their boat — their home — com- 
fortable, few travellers will retain other than pleasant 
recollections of their voyage on the Nile. 

We visited, opposite Wadee Halfeh, a caravan 
which arrived on the western bank when we were 
there, from the south, with three hundred and fifty 
prisoners. Some of them were girls and boys, but 
most of them young men, chained together by the 
neck in parties of four. This is not usual, but they 
say that a month ago they escaped from the Turk- 
ish soldiers, just as they got here, but were caught 
again near Kordofan, and sent down a second time in 
irons. They were prisoners made in the skirmishes 
which are continually going on at the frontiers of the 



I 

344 TRAFFIC IN SLATES. » 

Pasha's dominions. The men said themselves that 
they came from Darfour. Their features and colour 
were quite like the negroes, thick lips, high cheek 
bones, and woolly hair, with bluish-black complexions. 
The men are made soldiers of, and the girls are given 
to them for wives. When the men arrive at Cairo, 
they are furnished with arms, and the usual white 
Nizam dress, so becoming to them; and they are 
divided among the black regiments in different parts 
of Egypt. I hope they will never again be lent 
to the Emperor Napoleon to die of fever at Yera Cruz. 
They are supplied with provisions, but no wages, like 
the Egyptian soldiers, who receive twenty piastres a 
month. 

The slave-markets of Cairo, Esneh, and other 
places are abolished, but slavery still exists in Egypt. 
There are merchants, chiefly Turks, at Khartoom, 
who carry on an enormous traffic in slaves, making 
often predatory expeditions into the districts on the 
borders of the Pasha's dominions, especially on the 
White Nile. 

Having, in my travels in Ethiopia, followed the 
Nile almost to where it takes the name of Bahr-el- 
Abiad, I cannot conclude this volume without offering 
my homage to the discoverers of the source of the 
Nile. 

That old mystery the ancient Egyptians and Ethi- 
opians, with all their knowledge, wealth, and power, 



DISCOVERY OF THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 345 



near as they were to the now renowned lake, 
never appear to have attempted to solve, or the 
Greek travellers in Egypt would certainly have re- 
corded it, and which, also, the two centurions, sent 
by Nero, could not fathom, Captains Speke and 
Grant, to the great credit of the Koyal Geographical 
Society, who promoted the enterprise, and to their 
own eternal honour, have at last cleared up. The 
Lake Victoria Nyanza, three thousand five hundred 
feet above the sea, and extending about one hundred 
and eighty miles south of the equator, which may be 
considered nearly its northern boundary, and mea- 
suring about the same from east to west, is the great 
reservoir of the sacred Bahr-el=Abiad— the White 
Nile. Nearly from the centre of the northern coast 
of this lake, twenty miles north of the equator, issues 
the Nile in a current a hundred and fifty yards wide, 
and soon after leaps a cataract twelve feet high. 
Streams from a cluster of mountains, ten thousand 
feet high, the Kitangule and other rivers, and several 
lakes, especially a very large one called Luta Nzige, 
a hundred and twenty miles to the north-west, which 
Mr. Barker has gone to explore, are the chief feeders 
of the great river ; but it is to the effect of the equa- 
torial rains in those great basins that Egypt owes her 
fecundity. The difficulties of the journey, extending 
over two years and a half, must have been very great. 
I understand they started with about two hundred por- 



346 THE LAKE VICTORIA NYANZA. 

ters to carry the goods with which they had to buy 
their way through several powerful kingdoms, but al- 
most at the very outset three-fourths of them deserted ; 
that fifty negroes, liberated slaves, alone remained 
with them, and of these it appears only twenty-three 
reached the source of the Nile. The exploration of 
the previously unvisited countries, between four de- 
grees south and nearly the same north, would alone 
have been the most enterprising journey of modern 
days ; but combined with the satisfactory examina- 
tion of the great inland lake, Victoria Nyanza, so as 
to establish it, beyond a doubt, as the great reservoir 
of the Nile, this great geographical feat is a glory t< 
England, and a glory to our gracious Queen, whose 
name that now celebrated lake appropriately bears. 



THE END. 



LONDON: PRINTED BY MACDONALD AND TUGWELL, BLENHEIM HOUSE. 



err 



A T A . 



